A beloved Filipino sour stew that swaps tamarind for ripe guava, producing a gentle, fruity tang and a naturally sweet broth. Pork shoulder or ribs simmer with tomatoes, onion, and a generous medley of green vegetables until the meat is tender and the soup is bright. It is the kind of soul-warming bowl that tastes like home in the Philippines.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time50 mins
Total Time65 mins
Servings6
Yield6 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 485 kcalCalories
- 32 gFat
- 11 gSaturated Fat
- 18 gCarbs
- 4 gFiber
- 9 gSugar
- 28 gProtein
- 720 mgSodium
- 860 mgPotassium
- 80 mgCalcium
- 3.5 mgIron
- 62 mgVitamin C
- 120 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the stew base
- 1 kg pork shoulder or ribs, cut into 5 cm pieces
- 4 ripe guavas, halved and seeded
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered
- 2 ripe tomatoes, quartered
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (patis), plus more to taste
- 8 cups cold water or rice-wash water
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
For the vegetables
- 200 g long beans (sitaw), cut into 5 cm lengths
- 1 medium Filipino radish (labanos), sliced 1 cm thick
- 1 small Chinese eggplant, sliced 1 cm thick
- 8 fresh okra pods, trimmed
- 1 bunch water spinach (kangkong), trimmed
- 2 green bird's-eye chilies, lightly crushed (optional)
Directions
- Rinse the pork pieces under cold water and pat dry. In a heavy stockpot, combine pork, onion, tomatoes, and water; bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any gray foam that rises.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently for 35 minutes until the pork is fork-tender. Add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce midway through cooking.
- Drop the halved guavas into the pot and continue simmering, uncovered, for 10 minutes until the guava flesh softens and releases its sweet-tart juice into the broth.
- Using a slotted spoon, lift out the guava halves and gently mash the pulp with a fork; return the pulp (and any seeds removed with a spoon) to the broth, then stir. Season with the remaining fish sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Add the radish and long beans first; simmer 4 minutes, then add the eggplant and okra and cook another 3 minutes until all vegetables are just tender but still hold their shape.
- Stir in the water spinach and chilies, cook 30 seconds until just wilted, then taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into deep bowls with steamed jasmine rice on the side.
- Discard any uncrushed chilies if a milder broth is preferred. Serve hot with a small dipping plate of fish sauce and calamansi for an extra tangy kick.
Cook’s Notes
- Choose ripe but still firm yellow guavas for the cleanest sweet-sour balance; overripe fruit will cloud the broth.
- Rice-wash water (hugas-bigas) gives the broth a slightly thicker, more traditional mouthfeel than plain tap water.
- For a leaner cut, swap pork shoulder for pork ribs; simmer 10 extra minutes to render out extra fat.
- Add the leafy kangkong at the very end so it stays bright green and crisp-tender instead of mushy.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as the guava flavor deepens overnight in the refrigerator.
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