Ginagmay ( Beef and Potato Hash )

           My friend, Connie and I were talking yesterday, while snacking on Pansit Palabok and Siopao Asado. She was telling me about the time she stayed in the US for 2 years while her husband was attending school. Her Lumpiang Ubod ( coconut pith spring rolls ) and Pansit Bihon ( Rice Sticks Noodles ) was always consumed first, whenever they attended parties. We both laughed at the fact that most Filipino dishes have sweet notes underneath all flavors. I always wondered how the Italians would react if they knew that Filipinos have Sweet-Style Spaghetti? She was quick to note that we, Filipinos go all the way in terms of flavor. If we went for sour, it will be really sour, or really spicy or really salty or really sweet. Bland is never an option, simply because practically everything is served with rice, the viand has to really stand out. I can only agree.

        A quick trivia or two on Filipino sweet tooth: 1. When McDonald's went head to head competing with homegrown fastfood success story Jollibee, the one thing that McDonald's immediately set out to put on the menu, was a sweet-sour spaghetti. McDonald's serve spaghetti in all of its branches nationwide. Elsewhere on this planet, you won't find spaghetti on McDonald's menu. Only in the Philippines, did you know?

        The second story is TANG. When I was a 2nd grader, Tang was the only orange juice drink powder available on grocery shelves. But I can still remember why as a kid, I never asked for a glass. I found it too sour and to have to finish a glass was an unpleasant chore. A few years later, Kool-Aid entered the scene, but it was not until homegrown Sugarland Corporation came up with Eight O'Clock Orange Juice drink, that every family was now drinking orange juice by the pitcher. The difference? the level of sweetness. The makers of TANG took an entire year to finally come up with a version that Filipinos can love. If you ask me, there is no hint of tanginess in Tang juices in my country, just absolute pure fruity sweetness. Then, they made money.

          Our dish today is popular in the Visayas and Mindanao region and goes by different names such as Ginamay, Ginagmay or Picadillo. The names maybe different, but they all look the same. Different regions also have variations, some use atsuete (annatto) seeds, soy sauce, or tomato sauce interchangeably. 

Ginagmay

INGREDIENTS:

300 g. ground pork or beef

1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced

2 potatoes,diced

1 carrot, diced

1 small tomato, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic

salt and pepper to taste

choice of soy sauce or annatto seeds soaked in 1/4 cup hot water or tomato sauce 1 pouch

a little sugar

ginagmay ingredients

PROCEDURE:

1. Saute, garlic, onions and tomatoes in 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the meat and cook until brown.

2. Add 1 cup water and let boil. ( If using beef, cook longer)

3. Add the diced vegetables, choice of broth flavoring, then season to taste.

boiling away

4.  Add sugar to balance any sour notes from the tomatoes or the tomato sauce. The dish will naturally give off more oil from the meat.

5. Serve hot over rice.

NOTE: Mom raised me for many years, with a table set with at least a pair of 2 dishes that compliment each other. So, I try to do the same for my family. Below, you will see the ubiquitous dried fish served with slices of fresh tomatoes and the spiced vinegar; Pinakurat I made last week.

bulad ( dried fish ) and Pinakurat ( spiced vinegar )

Ginagmay  and Bulad with Pinakurat

This is one typical Filipino dinner or lunch, no frills, no fluff, just straightforward homestyle cooking.

Enjoy!