Menudo For Potlucks

I have attended two get-togethers with two different groups of friends and I brought a favorite Filipino dish Menudo (Diced Pork with Potatoes and Chick Peas) as my potluck contribution. Cooking Menudo is not really difficult. Just the prepping of the ingredients is time consuming because you need to slice the ingredients and the meat in somewhat uniform sizes.

I brought Menudo to our recent Dinner Club Meet - a group of multi-cultural people joined together with their love for food. In our last meeting we brought food from our own country with green ingredients in it. I used green bell pepper among other things. Then again, I brought the same dish to a Going Away Party of our good friend who is moving to South Carolina with her family.

In my first Menudo, I didn't put liver because my hubby doesn't eat them. He is not a picky eater but liver is not on his list. But in my second Menudo, I did put liver to make it really authentic. Menudo is not a menudo without liver, don't you think?

MENUDO

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups diced pork
1 cup diced pork liver
2 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red ripe tomatoes, cubed
2 cups diced potatoes
1 small red bell pepper
1 small green bell pepper
1 can cooked chick peas
1 package of Mama Sita's Menudo Mix

PROCEDURE:
1. Pre-fry the potatoes and bell peppers in 1 tbsp of oil. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, pour in the rest of the oil and saute the garlic and onion until soft.
3. Mix in the cubed pork and liver and cook stirring constantly until opaque about 5 minutes.
4. Mix in the Mama Sita's Menudo Mix dissolved in water and let it boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until meat is tender.
5. Then mix in the pre-fried potatoes and bell pepper and chick peas. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Add salt to taste.