Ilonggo's Pork Pochero

Ilonggo Pork Pochero: Clear-Broth Pork Stew with Saba Bananas

Pork pochero is a beloved Filipino dish, especially popular in the Visayas, including Iloilo and Negros. Unlike the Luzon version, Ilonggo pochero is cooked without tomato sauce, so the broth stays clear and savory and the natural sweetness of the pork, saba bananas and cabbage comes through. This Ilonggo pork pochero recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and one pot, and it is ready in about an hour and twenty minutes.

What is Ilonggo pork pochero?

Pochero (also spelled puchero) traces back to the Spanish boiled-meat-and-vegetable stews that arrived in the Philippines during the colonial era. Filipino cooks adapted the idea with local ingredients, adding saba bananas, cabbage or pechay, and seasoning with fish sauce (patis) instead of salt alone. The result is a hearty, brothy dish that is eaten with steamed rice, like most Filipino stews.

In Ilonggo kitchens the dish is kept simple. Pork belly is browned with onion and garlic, simmered with whole peppercorns and fish sauce until tender, and then the potatoes, saba and cabbage go in. There is no tomato sauce to cover the flavor of the pork, so what you taste is a clean, peppery, lightly sweet broth.

Ilonggo pochero vs. Luzon-style pochero

People often ask what separates the Visayan and Luzon versions. The difference is mostly in the broth.

Both are good. If you grew up with the tomato version, try the Ilonggo style on a rainy day: it tastes lighter and lets the pork speak for itself. If you want the tomato-based version, our Chicken Pochero shows how it is built. If you would rather cook chicken the Ilonggo way, see our Ilonggo Chicken Pochero.

Ingredients and why they matter

• Pork belly gives the broth body and flavor from its fat. If you prefer a leaner stew, use pork shoulder (kasim) or a mix of belly and spare ribs.
• Saba bananas are the signature of pochero. They stay firm, turn tender and slightly sweet in the broth, and balance the salty fish sauce. Ripe-but-firm saba works best; very ripe fruit falls apart.
• Potatoes thicken the broth slightly as they cook and make the dish more filling.
• Cabbage goes in last so it stays sweet and just tender.
• Fish sauce (patis) seasons the broth with depth that plain salt cannot match. Add it gradually and taste.
• Whole black peppercorns perfume the broth gently without making it spicy.
• Onion and garlic are browned with the pork to build the flavor base.

Tips for the best pork pochero

1. Brown the pork first. Browning the belly in the pot gives the broth a deeper, roasted flavor. Do not skip it.
2. Skim the foam. After you add the water and bring it to a boil, skim off the grey foam that rises. This keeps the Ilonggo-style broth clear.
3. Simmer, don't boil. A gentle simmer keeps the broth clear and the pork tender. A hard boil makes it cloudy and can toughen the meat.
4. Stagger the vegetables. Potatoes and saba need about 15 minutes; cabbage needs only 10. Adding everything at once gives you mushy vegetables.
5. Season at the end. Fish sauce concentrates as the broth reduces, so taste after the vegetables are in before adding more.

What to serve with pochero

Serve pochero hot in deep bowls with plenty of steamed rice. A small dish of fish sauce with a squeeze of calamansi (and sliced chili if you like heat) is the classic dip for the pork and bananas. A simple side of fried fish or a tomato and onion salad rounds out the meal.

Variations

• Leaner pochero: use pork shoulder or loin instead of belly, and skim any fat from the surface before serving.
• More vegetables: add pechay (bok choy) or green beans in the last 3 minutes.
• Add chickpeas: canned or cooked garbanzos are common in Luzon-style pochero and add protein. Add them with the potatoes.
• Beef or chicken: the same method works with beef shank (simmer longer, about 2 hours) or chicken pieces (simmer about 25 minutes; see our Ilonggo Chicken Pochero). See our Nilagang Baka for the beef approach.
• Pressure cooker: cook the browned pork with water, fish sauce and peppercorns for about 25 minutes, release the pressure, then add the vegetables and simmer until tender.

Storing and reheating

Cool leftovers and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove; the saba and potatoes will be softer the next day, which many people like. Pochero freezes reasonably well without the cabbage and potatoes, which turn watery after thawing. Freeze the pork and broth for up to 2 months, then add fresh vegetables when you reheat.