Pork Menudo: Filipino Tomato Pork Stew
Dan
Filipino stew | Tomato pork | Party ulam
Pork menudo is a colorful tomato stew with tender pork, potatoes, carrots, raisins, and a savory-sweet sauce made for rice.
Why make it: This version gives a balanced party-style menudo with optional hot dog and liver notes for cooks choosing their family lane.
Fresh From the Kitchen
What Is Pork Menudo?
Filipino pork menudo is a tomato-based pork stew often made with potatoes, carrots, raisins, bell pepper, and sometimes liver or hot dogs.
Why You Will Love It
- Practical for U.S. kitchens: the recipe uses ingredients and substitutions a home cook can realistically shop for.
- Built for the table: the serving notes match how the dish usually lands in Filipino-American homes, from weeknights to merienda to parties.
- Flexible without erasing the dish: swaps are named clearly so the original idea stays visible.
- Easy to cook through: the shopping list, timings, and storage notes make the recipe straightforward to test and adjust.
Ingredient Notes
For the pork
Cut pork into small, even cubes so it becomes tender without a very long braise.
For the add-ins
Raisins, hot dogs, and liver are family-preference ingredients; include or skip them intentionally.
Pork Menudo Recipe
This version gives a balanced party-style menudo with optional hot dog and liver notes for cooks choosing their family lane.
Shopping List
- pork shoulder
- tomato sauce
- potatoes
- carrots
- bell pepper
- raisins
- soy sauce
- garlic
- onion
- hot dogs optional
- liver spread optional
Ingredients
Pork
- 2 pounds pork shoulder, diced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Black pepper
Stew Base
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup water or broth
- 1 tablespoon liver spread, optional
Vegetables and Finish
- 2 potatoes, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1/3 cup raisins
- Sliced hot dogs, optional
Instructions
- Season pork with soy sauce and pepper.
- Brown pork in oil, then add onion and garlic.
- Pour in tomato sauce and water or broth and simmer until pork starts to soften.
- Stir in optional liver spread until dissolved.
- Add potatoes and carrots and cook until tender.
- Add bell pepper, raisins, and optional hot dogs near the end.
- Simmer until the sauce is thick and glossy, then rest before serving.
Tips For The Best Pork Menudo
- Cut small: Small pork cubes are part of menudo's texture.
- Do not overcook peppers: Add them late for color.
- Balance sweetness: Raisins should round the sauce, not dominate it.
- Rest the stew: Ten minutes helps the sauce settle around the meat.
How To Serve And Store
Serve with rice for lunch, dinner, or potlucks. Refrigerate up to 4 days; the sauce tastes deeper the next day.
Common Questions
Do I need liver?
No. Use liver spread if you like the depth, or skip it.
Are hot dogs required?
No, but some party versions include them.
Can I use pork belly?
Yes, but it will be richer.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Menudo is excellent made a day ahead.
Does your family menudo include raisins, hot dogs, liver, all three, or none? Share your family version or testing notes in the comments.
Recipe inspiration and technique reference: Filipino home-cooking source research from Panlasang Pinoy, Kawaling Pinoy, and Filipino-American cooking sources in the site roadmap.
