Looking for an easy dinner idea? Kilawing Labanos at Baboy stewed in vinegar and spices uses simple ingredients and is ready in an hour. It's a hearty and tasty pork dish that's nutritious and budget-friendly, too!
One of the dishes I haven't had for years and terribly miss is Kilayin, a Kapampangan pork and liver stew cooked in vinegar and spices. It's easy enough to cook regularly, but I don't make it often because a key ingredient is unavailable here in the U.S. Minced pork lung gives the dish its signature texture but is unfortunately banned from US markets, and kilayin without lungs is just not the same.
On the other hand, the ingredients for this kilawing labanos at baboy are easy to find at almost any supermarket. I get to enjoy the savory and tangy flavors I love of my favorite Kapampangan dish in less time and with less work.
The simple combination of pork, liver, and radish makes a delicious and nutritious meal that's budget-friendly, too!
What is kilawin
The root word "kilaw" means "eaten fresh". Kinilaw or kilawin refers to a type of dish where rawย meat or fish is prepared in an acidic marinade of fruit juices or vinegar and then consumed without passing through heat.
In a broader context, the term kilawin also includes meat, seafood, or vegetables cooked in vinegar and spices, such asย kilawing puso nang saging.
Ingredient notes
- Pork- the recipe uses pork belly. Swap with tenderloin or shoulder if you prefer a leaner cut.
- Liver- protein source along with pork; helps thicken the dish
- Vinegar- tenderizes the meat and enhances the flavor.
- Labanos- also called daikon or radish, adds texture and extends the dish.
- Aromatics and seasonings- onions, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt help build flavor.
Cooking tips
- For fast and even cooking, slice the meat and vegetable into thin, uniform strips.
- Do not marinate for too long, as the acids in the vinegar might break down the protein fibers and make the meat mushy. Thirty minutes to an hour should be enough to impart flavor.
- Give the vinegar a few minutes to boil uncovered and without stirring before adding the water to cook off the strong acid taste.
How to store leftovers
- Kilawing baboy and labanos is a great make-ahead dish and best enjoyed the day after when flavors have begun to meld.
- As with most foods cooked in vinegar and salt, itโs said to keep well at room temperature. However, I highly suggest storing it in the refrigerator for longer and safe storage.
- To reheat, place in a saucepan and heat to 165 F. Or warm in the microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals until completely heated through, stirring after each interval.
More pork recipes
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly, cut into ยฝ-inch strips
- 1 pound pork liver, cut into ยฝ-inch strips
- 1 cup vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large labanos, peeled and cut into ยฝ-inch strips
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine pork and ยฝ cup of the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Marinate for about 30 minutes.
- In another bowl, combine liver and the remaining ยฝ cup vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Marinate for about 10 minutes.
- Drain pork and liver separately and reserve marinade. With hands, squeeze to extract excess liquid.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
- Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the reserved vinegar marinade and bring to a boil, uncovered and without stirring, for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add water and bay leaves and bring to a boil, skimming scum that floats on top.
- Lower heat, cover, and continue to cook for about 25 to 30 minutes or until pork is tender.
- Add labanos and cook until half-done.
- Add liver, stirring gently to combine, and continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until liver is cooked through, labanos are tender yet crisp, and liquid is reduced.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
- For fast and even cooking, slice the meat and vegetable into thin, uniform strips.
- Do not marinate for too long, as the acids in the vinegar might break down the protein fibers and make the meat mushy. Thirty minutes to an hour should be enough to impart flavor.
- Give the vinegar a few minutes to boil uncovered and without stirring before adding the water to cook off the strong acid taste.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Nimfa says
Itโs perfect! Love it, I forgot about this ulam, until I saw it on ur site. I add a little long pepper without the seeds of course to have a little kick on it. And itโs delicious! Thanks for sharing all your recipes . Appreciate it so much.
Mira says
Hello Lalaine. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes for free. I read some of the comments here and simply cannot understand how inconsiderate people can be, wanting to to learn something and using other people's work for free yet unable to tolerate the means for you to continue sharing your talent and knowledge with us. I hope you don't get discouraged by them and that you continue sharing your cooking knowledge with us. People like that should just get their wallets out and buy themselves a cookbook or cooking dvd material and stop leeching off the internet for free.
Anyway, I remember having tried this delicious dish before but had no clue how to cook it. Thank you so much for sharing it online.
Mira
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you for understanding!
dith gerolaga says
It will be more convenient if the measurement will be by kgms and not by pound.
Lalaine Manalo says
I live in the U.S. so I am more familiar with the U.S. customary units which use pounds instead of kilos. You can, however, toggle between the two measurements in the recipe card.
Lina says
I too came to look at some of the recipes that are reminiscent of what my parents used to cook. But 10 seconds in- ads. Then back to back ads. I get that you need to get paid, but this is a ridiculous amount of ads. Tried watching two videos and probably will find someone elseโs video that isnโt so greedy.
Lalaine Manalo says
I am sorry to hear that the ads affected your user experience on the site, but if I may be honest, calling me greedy is out of line. Cooking the recipes, re-testing them to make sure they work, taking the photos, writing the posts with detailed cooking tips take plenty of time and resources. They're on the blog for you to use for FREE and if you can't tolerate a TEN SECOND ad in exchange of this service, please feel free to find another site. Have a great day!
S says
My Mom is currently using your recipe to cook chicken pork adobo. Happy that we found your recipe ... less hassle... no marinades.... very US lifestyle friendly recipe. Kudos to you! Stay safe!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you find the recipes useful!
Johnny says
You were so gracious in replying to that negative comment, Lalaine! Let's not waste time with those naysayers! I love your recipes!!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you!
Rusty says
Can't close the Blogher pop-up without it reopening? Not wasting any more time on this site.
Lalaine says
Hello Rusty
I am so sorry about this. I understand how frustrating it can be to have an ad interfere with your reading experience. Unfortunately, I can't totally remove ads from my website as they do cover the costs of my website and make iy possible for me to provide recipes for free. am going to contact Blogher and find out why the ads kept re-opening. Again, I sincerely apologize.
Camille says
here in batangas that recipe is very famous ๐ one of my favorite ๐
when my mom cook this dish she added some sugar for some sweet taste ๐
Lalaine says
Hello Camille
What a great idea about adding a little bit of sugar, I guess it balances the acidity of the vinegar. Will definitely try it when I cook this kilawin again. Thanks for the tip ๐
Aye says
labanos = raddish (white) ๐
Mia S says
Had to google what "labanos" translates in English. I haven't really tried cooking with this vegetable when I was still in Philippines and as far as I can remember, we don't have dishes with labanos in it. Forgive my ignorance, but I'm guessing this is a famous dish in Luzon? It seems to be a very good recipe worthy of trying.
Manuelito Rafanan says
crispy pata