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C E L E B R A T I O N T I M E
Igado
Ilocos
Higado
is Spanish for liver. This dish’s
name has discarded the “h”, a letter
which stays silent in the Spanish
language. And while it does use pork
liver, it also includes other innards like
lungs, heart and kidney.
Igado
is a simple dish, as is the case
with most cooking in Ilocandia, a region
in the northern part of the country.
Pieces of meat are sautéed with garlic
then a little water is added to continue
cooking. Soy sauce, vinegar, salt and
pepper are added. It finishes with two
mainstays in many feasting recipes —
red bell pepper and the
guisantes
(
peas).
Red bell pepper is present in many
Filipino dishes, probably more for the
color it adds to the dish than the flavor.
Guisantes aren’t as big as the frozen
peas bought in the supermarket, they
are cooked and available canned or sold
in wet markets by the glass.
Igado may be everyday cooking but it
also is awaited during special occasions.
That only means that Ilocanos know
that what makes for a celebration are
the people who dine with you — family,
friends, even friends of friends.
Kalel says
For richer flavor, add liver
paté to the sauce. To
make it sweeter, put in
more
sukang Iloko
.
