There are always a few international cuisines in the panoply of food trends, and right now the spotlight in Asia is moving from Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula to the Philippines.
There are always a few international cuisines in the panoply of food trends, and right now the spotlight in Asia is moving from Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula to the Philippines. And the product that is emblematic of that country’s food is banana ketchup.
It’s old yet it’s fairly new. It’s American yet it's also Asian. I’m sure it will be shelved next to hoisin sauce and wasabi powder in supermarkets in a few years; right now it’s difficult to find in Rhode Island. But it’s really easy to make.
Banana ketchup was an invention of necessity. While it’s now incredibly popular, it wasn’t born until after World War II when there was a severe tomato shortage in the Philippines. But bananas were in abundance.
This condiment is another reflection of the unusual amalgam of influences in Filipino cuisine that reflect the country’s location and history. Ferdinand Magellan claimed the 7,000-plus islands of the archipelago for Spain in 1521, so you’ll find dishes like a version of paella and lots of ingredients from the Iberian Peninsula and from other Spanish possessions like Mexico front and center.
The Spanish owned the Philippines until 1898, when the United States took possession after the Spanish-American War. That’s when ketchup became a part of the cuisine. But there was also considerable culinary influence from other countries of Asia with whom the Filipinos traded. Filipino spring rolls are called lumpia, and there are myriad versions of cellophane noodles and other lo-mein derivatives.
Bold flavors are what characterize the cuisine. If there’s a national dish, it’s probably adobo — which is a cooking method as well as a finished product. To claim the name the meat — usually chicken or pork — must be slowly braised in vinegar, bay leaves, and garlic.
While banana ketchup is a condiment for just about everything, it’s also an ingredient for the marinade of Pinoy Barbecued Pork, the Filipino version of satay. Another ingredient in the marinade is either ginger ale or 7-Up. There’s that American influence again.
Kitchen hack: The Smart Way to Buy Bananas
Supermarkets want you to buy bananas in bunches. That’s the way they’re shipped, stored, and shelved. And let’s say you’re really fond of bananas and eat about four a week. That means the first one you’ll eat won’t be ripe and will taste like a potato, and the last one of the week might be overly ripe. Smart cooks pull a banana or two off of a number of bunches so that at any given moment there’s a ripe banana to be enjoyed. The first ones to eat will be yellow and showing some black spots while at the other end of the spectrum you’ll have some bright green ones in your bag. And what should you do if you have a number of bananas that are primarily black? Throw them into the freezer, right in the peel. Thaw them and they’re perfect to use in banana bread, or in this Banana Ketchup recipe.
PINOY BARBECUED PORK
2 pounds boneless pork butt or pork loin
½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1½ cups Banana Ketchup (recipe follows), divided
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup ginger ale
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
12 to 16 bamboo skewers
Place the pork on a sheet of plastic wrap in the freezer for 20 minutes. Cut the pork against the grain into thin slices.
Combine the soy sauce, ¾ cup of the banana ketchup, lime juice, shallots, garlic, brown sugar, ginger ale and pepper in a heavy resealable plastic bag and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Remove ½ cup of the marinade and set aside. Add the pork slices to the remaining marinade and refrigerate the meat for 2 to 3 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes, and light a charcoal or gas grill or preheat the oven broiler. Drain the pork slices and thread the meat onto the skewers.
Grill or broil the skewers for 2 minutes on each side, basting the meat with the reserved marinade. Serve immediately, drizzling each skewer with the remaining banana ketchup.
Serves 6 to 8
Note: Do not marinate the meat for longer than specified, although the marinade can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered.
Variation: Substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts for the pork. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, and grill the skewers for 3 minutes on each side, or until the meat is cooked through and no pink remains.
BANANA KETCHUP
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 scallions, white parts and 4 inches of green tops, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeño or serrano chile, seeds and ribs removed and chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ cups mashed ripe banana
2/3 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, garlic, chile, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is fragrant. Add the turmeric and cinnamon and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add the mashed banana, vinegar, hoisin sauce, tomato paste, and soy sauce. Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Puree the sauce with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add water by 1 tablespoon amounts, if necessary, to make the sauce the consistency of ketchup.
Makes 2 cups
Note: The ketchup keeps refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 10 days.
Providence resident Ellen Brown, the founding food editor of USA Today, is the author of more than 40 cookbooks. Write to her at [email protected].