Shnks fr th Mmrs

this post will revolve around my love of the beef shank. i've long known that while this meat is tough like rubber, if braised long enough, this portion has the ability to make any great soup better. add this to the low price of this rarely found item, and one can appreciate the joy of cooking -- both in savings and in camraderie and family.

this past wednesday, i made a promise to my roommates that i would cook sinigang for them before i moved out. for those of you that don't know what it is, think gumbo done in a filipino style. at least that's what i think of it. filipino soul food.

the rundown of its creation follows (mind you, i've cooked this differently everytime i've made it):

• prep meat (this includes removing the silverskin and most of the connective tissue of the shank meat)
• boil this meat like your life depended on it
• remove the "scum" that forms as the meat boils
• add the onions for flavoring
• as meat and bones approaches fork-tenderness, add tamarind soup base (sinigang flavoring)
• add remaining vegetables, from hardest (rooty) texture to softest (leafy).
  

eat till you passout.

seriously.

since i've moved out on my own, i've had very few encounters with filipino food. throughout my many coversations with xerxes, this idea of food as life and food being a key part of our fond memories is a common topic. i guess this is why i titled this post "Shanks for the Memories" - the idea that food can spark fond memories of happier times.

not that i am sad or anything - it's probably just a case of indigestion.