Bittersweet

People see my spice rack and exclaim, “No wonder the food’s good!” If they only knew. There are just three items in there that I use regularly: bay leaf, black pepper, and granulated garlic (powdered if I’m out of that).

Think back to grade school. Were your coloring projects really better off for having a 24-piece Crayola set, while your seatmate only had the basic eight? Mine sure weren’t. Fact is, some people are just better at working with colors as some are with cooking ingredients — fancy has nothing to do with it. We have a word for it, too: abilidad. I will take that over a well-stocked, well-equipped kitchen anytime.

And then I go on to say that this dish here includes maple syrup. No, I have not been jerking you around. That was what the recipe required and I just happened to have some; I don’t need to apologize for that, do I? Use honey as a substitute; frankly, I don’t think my pedestrian palate can discern the difference in the finished dish. If all you got is plain sugar, well, it has never failed me before, so don’t let me keep you. Abilidad, remember?

In any case, the recipe was more inspiration than template. Here I use pork liver, which is a lot less forgiving than chicken’s as originally called for. Get your pan really hot and that liver should cook in no time. Just don’t overdo it or you’ll be eating rubber. I also add bell pepper as it pairs well with pork liver, but green, not red: Eva insists there is a difference, and I defer to her cooking chops, if not to her use of Magic Sarap, which is one more reason I need all the help I can muster. I should give her a complete spice set for her birthday and have her figure out what those other stuff are good for.

Pork Liver with Broccoli & Sweet Potato

Semi-frozen liver is easier to handle. Slice it on the bias (diagonally). I sliced as thinly as I could; thicker cuts will affect cooking time. Instead of sweet potato, you can use regular potato.

• 250 grams pork liver, sliced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder


• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small head broccoli, florets only
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cubed
• 1 red finger chili, chopped


• salt and pepper, to taste
• dash of sesame oil

1. In a bowl, combine liver, soy sauce, maple syrup, oyster sauce, and garlic powder.
2. Steam broccoli florets and sweet potato cubes for 8 minutes. Plunge the broccoli into cold water to stop cooking. Drain. Set both aside separately.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in pan or wok. Add sliced onion and stir-fry until half-wilted, then throw in bell pepper and chili. Sauté for 30 seconds more. Remove everything from pan and set aside.
4. Fry sweet potato cubes in remaining oil until browned on all sides, then remove from pan and set aside.
5. Add another tablespoon of oil to pan along with garlic. Stir around until garlic bits start to turn golden, then add the liver together with any extra marinade. Set heat to high and sauté until liver lose their raw color, about 3 minutes. Return everything else to pan and toss to coat evenly with the sauce (add a bit of water if too dry). Season to taste and drizzle with some sesame oil. Cover pan, turn heat off, and leave to cook in residual heat for a minute or two. Serve.