143 Pork stew with tomato (Dayak)

This is an Indonesian pork stew from the Dayaks (wiki); the original inhabitants of Borneo. It is name for all ethnic minorities of Borneo (riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic subgroups). I’ve never visit them. My husband did many years ago. He talks about their wonderful ‘longhouses’ with the pigs living underneath. Leftovers are thrown under the house for them. Not surprisingly this dish made with pork.

Tomato is probably lovely in this stew. I love tomatoes (and my daughter too). Let’s put it all together.

This dish is enough for 3 people and is done in 30 minutes.

Pork stew with Tomato (Dayaks) translated from Beb Vuyk’s Groot Indonesisch Kookboek, page 148

Ingredients

1/2 kg of pork (semi fat)
3 large tomatoes
2 dl of water

Herbs

3 tablespoons of chopped onions
1 chopped garlic clove
1 teaspoon of sambal oelek (chili salsa)
2 tablespoons sliced koetjai (chives)
juice of 1 large lemon
salt
pepper

Cut the meat into dices and the tomatoes into slices. Mix the meat, chives, onions, garlic, pepper, salt and lemon juice and marinate for an hour. Bring water to the boil, add the seasoned meat and let it simmer gently until tender. Add the tomatoes when the meat needs another half hour.

If people say that Indonesian food is hard to make, then they did not try this recipe. It is a matter of marinating some pork and let it simmer with tomatoes.

I usually buy free-range pork and preferably shoulder chops because they have just enough fat in them.

I use red onions because they are a bit sweeter; great with pork. I mix all the ingredients through the meat. Beb forgets to tell that the sambal (chili salsa) needs to go through the meat as well – I think, because it is not the preparation part of her recipe. I add it anyway. I leave my pork in the fridge for about an hour. It looks already beautiful with all the chives mixed in.

After an hour I bring the water to a boil and slip the marinated meat in. I let it simmer on low heat. Pork does not need long. After a minute or 10 I add the tomatoes.

When the tomatoes are softened, after about 5 minutes, this original Indonesian pork stew is ready. This could be a great recipe for camping. In Beb’s recipe she cooks the meat longer. I do not think that is necessary. My meat is quickly tender and juicy.

We eat it with white rice and a vegetable dish. I love a sour acar with this Indonesian pork stew.