The Fear of the Unknown

I am a great recipe follower. I am not afraid to try out a new dish. But why is it that I got all jittery the first time I made Laing?

First off, I didn't have a recipe. But then, I thought, how hard could it be? I can ask any Bicolano how to cook it, can't I? So that's what I did. I asked my friend Evan how he cooks the dish. He's a true-blue Bicolano, so he must know. So he tells me how, but didn't advise me on how much of each ingredient I should use. So I guess I was on my own.

Also, I didn't want my laing to be makati. I've ordered laing in restaurants and most of the time, I end up getting a strange, uncomfortable itch on my throat. I hate that feeling! And I don't want people who will eat my laing to get that same sensation.

So I went to the supermarket to get a 500 gram pack of the dried gabi (taro) leaves. Next, I asked my suki at the wet market to press 2 big coconuts to get the milk (kakang gata). I asked him to do a second pressing, this time with water (do not mix these 2!). Next, I went to the meat section and got a strip of liempo (pork belly). I asked them to slice it into half-inch strips.

As soon as I got to the kitchen, I took out half a head of garlic (I got this tip from the wife of the coconut vendor), a fat thumb-sized piece of ginger, 2 pork bouillon cubes, 5 red chilis (siling labuyo) and got to work.

First, I boiled the liempo in a cup of water over medium heat just to temderize the meat and to render fat. Then, I chopped everything: the garlic, the ginger and the red chilis. I placed the second gata (the one pressed with water) in a heavy pan, added the chopped spices and simmered it over medium heat. My friend Evan said to stir occasionally so that the coconut milk does not curdle. Then I added the bouillon cubes. His warning of not getting tired of stirring until it comes to a boil kept echoing in my mind, so I stirred and stirred and stirred.

Of course, I didn't forget to check on the pork strips. Once the liduid has evaporated, I reduced the heat to low and browned pork in its own fat.

Once the coconut milk was boiling, I added the dried gabi leaves. I mixed everything thoroughly until all the leaves are soaked in coconut milk. Then, I reduce fire to low and covered the pan. I just let it simmer for about 10 minutes. By this time, the pork strips are about done. Just set this aside.

Now, making laing takes a lot of patience. For a quick-cooking fan like me, making laing is like having a child at the back seat of a car asking, Are we there yet? 7,000 times. Just stir your laing from time to time so that it won't stick to the bottom of the pan (and ignore that kid in the back seat). After about 10 minutes of stirring, I added the kakang gata. And kept on stirring until it is thoroughly incorporated in the mixture. I added the browned pork, too and let it simmer some more until all the liquid has been reduced. (Personally, I don't like a soupy laing.)

The first time I made laing, I didn't stir as much. So the leaves were still very distinguish-able. The second time I made laing, I stirred so much that it turned into a dark green paste. The first laing went perfectly with fried tilapia. But the second one was more melt-in-your-mouth... it was perfect for pasta!

But whatever version you decide to make, the laing will taste the same. So don't be afraid to try anything new. Who knows? You may even surprise yourself.