Pork Binagoongan

Cooked binagoongang baboy (pork in shrimp paste) with some changes to fit the circumstances.

Slow-cooked a pork shoulder in the crockpot, with a cup of water and half a cup of vinegar (it should be pork loin, but I was experimenting). When it was soft enough some four or five hours later, cut it into cubes which fell apart, then tossed it into a large frying pan with some of the juices, half a head of garlic chopped, fresh-cracked pepper, and a couple of tablespoons of bagoong, or shrimp paste.

Also sauteed some kangkong (swamp cabbage, I think it's called) in water, garlic, and oyster sauce till tender, then topped it with sweet bagoong (sweetened shrimp paste).

Not bad. Salty shrimp paste has a way of accentuating the pork's sweetness, and cuts into the fatty richness; spooned over fresh steamed rice, it smelled sharp and rich and fragrant. The kangkong made for a nice side dish, crisp leaves and stems in a sweet and salty sauce.