Bagoong’s briny and seafood-y flavor is a staple in Filipino cuisine. You’ll most commonly find it as a condiment for kare-kare, or seasoning in dishes like pinakbet or bicol express. And it’s the main ingredient in Binagoongan, a Filipino method of cooking where proteins and veggies are cooked in bagoong. The addictive, salty taste will have you reaching for a second, third, and maybe even fourth cup of rice!
Binagoongan takes only a few minutes to prep and uses ingredients that are probably already in your pantry. It’s the perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket for those nights where there’s almost nothing in your fridge (because maybe you forgot to go grocery shopping—we’ve all been there) and you still want a nice, satisfying meal.
Why pork ribs?
Our recipe uses pork ribs for that fall-apart texture. It’s important to cook it right to avoid dry, tough meat. Braised dishes benefit from this cut of meat because the connective tissues in bone-in cuts keep moisture in as it cooks low and slow. Practice a bit of patience and you’ll be rewarded with a tender, melt-in-your mouth texture that will have you gnawing on the bone even after all the meat is gone.
