On with the grind

To Filipinos it’s giniling (after the minced/ground meat); in the Spanish-speaking world it’s picadillo (after picar: to mince/chop); but here at home we refer to it as “that dish Judy hates” — after a cousin who had too much of it during her dorm days in college that she had sworn never to touch the stuff again.

Myself, I think of it as “canteen” food — along with afritada, mechado, and menudo (they all feature the same triumvirate of meat, potato, and carrot (and as for menudo, well, some folks confuse it with giniling and I can’t say I blame them)). The appearance of such dishes on our table usually signals that I have run out of ideas, or given in to a lazy streak (“gitapol”): comfort food they aren’t hereabouts. “Eh,” my father goes when he sees what I am up to. “Shall I get you something from Jollibee?” I ask. “Nah, that’ll do.” He almost always orders the burger steak anyway.

Personal considerations aside, cooking giniling is a pretty straightforward affair. Just prep your ingredients ahead of time as there is a fair amount of chopping involved. To extend the dish, use more potatoes and carrots (or tomato sauce). For a more Spanish/Latin touch, throw in capers and green olives and substitute white wine for some of the water. And do not forget the fried sabá banana on the side (I didn’t; there just weren’t any around). Recipe follows; it’s not what you’d call traditional, but who am I kidding? I’m leaving cousin Judy out of this all the same.

Pork Giniling

This dish is more commonly made with ground beef. The banana ketchup lends it a sweet touch, otherwise use tomato ketchup.

• 500 grams ground pork
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 1 cup diced red and green bell pepper


• 1 cup white wine (or chicken stock)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ½ cup tomato (or spaghetti) sauce
• 2 tablespoons banana (or tomato) ketchup
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce


• ¼ cup raisins
• ½ cup cooked green peas
• 1 tablespoon capers (optional), drained
• ¼ cup green olives (optional), drained
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fried sliced semi-ripe sabá bananas

1. In a large wok or pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add onion and sauté on medium heat until tender and slightly caramelized, then add garlic. Sauté for another 30 seconds before adding ground meat.
2. Stir meat around to break clumps. Cook until browned around the edges (remove any excess fat/oil if desired).
3. Pour in wine or stock . Leave to boil for a minute, then mix in carrots and potatoes. Lower heat and cover skillet until vegetables are tender but not yet cooked all the way through. Stir in bell pepper and cook uncovered for another minute.
4. Add tomato sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, and oyster sauce. Stir to mix and coat everything evenly. Cook until most of the water has boiled off (unless you prefer the dish on the wet side). Season to taste, then add raisins, peas, capers, and olives (last two optional). Turn off heat and leave to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Serve on rice with slices of fried sabá on the side.