Recipe by Tricia San Mateo
Born in Makati, Manila, Philippines in an Ox Year ;-)
Lives in Portland, OR
Profession: Marketing and Retail Brand Experience Strategist & Consultant
Leisure: I love to cook, find new places to eat and travel (although traveling has been slow during the pandemic)
Word of the day: Allergies
Childhood cuisine: I ate what my parents ate so I ate a lot of good things because they love food
This is a Filipino noodle dish that originally comes from the province of Ilo Ilo, and more specifically, from the town of La Paz. It originated from the Chinese community that settled there. The name of the dish comes from the Chinese (Hokkien) Ba-chui, meaning pieces of meat. Traditionally, it is made with pork and pork offal cooked in a beef and pork stock. It uses egg noodles and is topped with chicharron, fried garlic, scallions and a raw egg that cooks in the hot broth. It is a nourishing dish that is full of umami coming from a rich bone broth and shrimp paste. This is a variation of that dish I use at home, made for how we live now. I find it is amazing with Umi Organic’s ramen because of the noodle’s amazing bite. I take the time to develop a really good beef broth and use a favorite roast pork recipe as a topping. I omit the chicharron because my roast pork has a crispy skin that gives it the texture contrast I love. However, if I happen to have it at home, I top it with chicharron anyway. It definitely brings it over the top.
Vegetarian and Vegan Alterations: You can use a good quality vegetarian broth. Mushroom broth also has a rich flavor. You can bring it to a boil with the same aromatics listed under the broth ingredients below. You can omit the fish sauce to make it truly vegetarian or substitute mushroom powder. For the toppings, omit the roast pork and also the egg if you are vegan. I would suggest adding roasted mushrooms as an alternative or adding a bit more of the fried tofu.
Photos by Shawn Linehan.
Makes 2 to 3 servings. Can be easily be doubled by adding another noodle package and increasing the toppings ratio.
Beef Broth:
I like to make the broth from scratch because it is an integral part of the soup. In a pinch, you can use good quality store bought bone broth or beef broth. Ensure that it is low in sodium and you can bring it to a boil with the same aromatics listed under the broth ingredients.
2 tablespoons neutral oil (like avocado oil)
2.5 to 3 pound beef shank with bones and marrow (this can be shank or hind shank and can also be more bone than meat)
1 pound beef tendon (optional)
1 small onion, sliced into quarters
2 scallions, cut in 2-inch pieces
1-inch ginger, peeled and sliced into large pieces
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon bagoong (Filipino shrimp paste)
12 cups water
Fish sauce, to taste
Salt, to season
Crispy Roast Pork Belly:
You can certainly top this with your favorite roast pork or even roast chicken, store bought or homemade. I am including a recipe which can be eaten as a separate dish on its own, but I also love it as a topping in this recipe.
1-1/2 pounds pork belly, skin on
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
Toppings:
3 eggs, boiled 8 minutes, chilled in an ice bath, and sliced in half
Fried garlic
Chicharron, crushed into small pieces (optional)
Fried tofu, sliced into small cubes
2 scallions, sliced at a bias
3 pieces baby bok choy, blanched in salted water, and cut in half lengthwise
1/2 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
1 box (12 ounces) Umi Organic Ramen
Instructions
Beef Broth:
This can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen for later use. I often have this ready so I can make this dish easily. This also makes enough broth for the dish and also to set aside for a later time. When doing so, omit adding the shrimp paste until you reheat the broth for this dish.
In a deep stock pot, on medium high heat, add oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef shank and brown both sides, seasoning each side with salt. When both sides are brown, add the aromatics: onion, scallions, ginger, bay leaves, and peppercorn. Cook until onions have softened, then add 12 cups of water into the stock pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat so it is at a low boil (the bubbles are gentle instead of vigorous). Periodically check and skim any foam or impurities that surface with a slotted spoon. This will simmer for about 3 hours.
NOTE: For a shorter process, you can use an InstaPot. Follow the process above and when the water has been added, seal the InstaPot and activate the Pressure Cook setting for 45 minutes. When done, release the pressure before opening and transfer into a stockpot and simmer for another 45 minutes. This cuts the cooking time in half.
After 3 hours, strain the broth. Separate the meat, slice into bite size pieces and set aside, Discard the vegetables. This should yield about 10 cups of broth.
If storing the broth, you can transfer the clear broth into containers. Let cool before covering to refrigerate for up to a week. To freeze, refrigerate the broth overnight. The next day, remove the the layer of fat that has solidified on top of the broth then store in the freezer in a freezer safe container for up to a month.
To finish the broth for Batchoy, bring the clear broth back to a boil, adding in the meat. Once it starts to boil, add the Bagoong and let simmer for 10 minutes. Check for seasoning and add fish sauce or salt as needed. Keep the broth hot until ready to serve.
If you are using refrigerated broth, make sure to remove the layer of fat that has solidified on top of the broth before adding it to the stock pot.)
Crispy Roast Pork Belly:
This roast pork recipe is a family favorite. It’s got an amazing flavor due to the marinade so this step is crucial. It is good marinating for as little as 4 hours but it’s amazing if you can marinate it overnight. The key to keeping the skin crispy is to ensure that it is scored, salted, and that it remains relatively dry during the marinating and cooking process.
Score the skin of the pork belly with a knife then set aside. In a bowl, mix together the rest of the marinade ingredients. Place the pork belly skin side up in a resealable container and slowly pour in the marinade making sure to keep the skin dry. Refrigerate while it marinates. Take the pork belly out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In the meantime, ready a sheet pan or a roasting pan with a wire rack. Place the pork belly skin side up on top of the rack. Slowly pour in the marinade below the rack, this will keep the pork moist during the roasting process. Place the pork belly in the oven and cook for 1 hour 45 minutes. Check it at the hour mark to make sure there is still liquid in the pan. If it looks dry, add some water or broth and continue to cook for another 40 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, turn your oven to broil. This will help crisp up the skin. Do not walk away from the oven as each oven varies, this may take less or more time depending on your oven. When the skin is crisp, remove from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
Building the Batchoy:
Heat up your broth (see broth instructions).
Make sure all your toppings are ready: fried garlic, scallions, boiled eggs, fried tofu, blanched bok choy, chicharron, and crispy roast pork belly.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Open your Umi Organic noodle package and separate the noodles into 3 portions and gently loosen up the noodles. Cook noodles in batches for about 2 minutes each. When done, remove noodles from water and transfer into a serving bowl. Repeat the process with the two remaining servings.
To serve, fill the noodle bowl with a few ladles of hot broth and top with the desired toppings. Once done, squeeze some lemon right before eating and enjoy soup while hot.