How to Cook Pork Afritada
Master Filipino pork afritada by searing tender pork chunks, simmering in rich tomato sauce, and cooking vibrant root vegetables to perfect tenderness.
This guide shows how to cook pork afritada in 50 minutes. Start with prep meat and vegetables; follow the safety notes and step checkpoints below.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Large cooking pot or Dutch oven
- ✓ Chef's knife
- ✓ Cutting board
- ✓ Wooden spoon or spatula
- ✓ Tongs
- ✓ Measuring cups and spoons
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 2 lbs pork shoulder or belly (cubed)
- ✓ 2 medium potatoes (cubed)
- ✓ 1 large carrot (sliced/cubed)
- ✓ 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
- ✓ 1 medium onion (diced)
- ✓ 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ✓ 8 oz tomato sauce
- ✓ 1.5 cups water or beef broth
- ✓ 2 dried bay leaves
- ✓ 3 tbsp cooking oil
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Use a secure claw grip when chopping dense potatoes and carrots to prevent knife slips.
- • Be cautious of hot oil splattering when adding moist pork or raw vegetables to the pot.
- • Ensure pork internal temperature reaches at least 145°F (63°C) and simmers until tender.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Prep Meat and Vegetables
Dice the pork into 1.5-inch cubes. Peel and cut potatoes and carrots into bite-sized chunks roughly equal in size to the meat. Dice the onion, mince garlic cloves, and slice the bell pepper into wide strips.
- • Evenly sized mounds of cubed pork, potatoes, and carrots arranged separately on the prep surface.
- • Cutting potato and carrot pieces too small, causing them to disintegrate during simmering.
Pan-Fry Potatoes and Carrots
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the cubed potatoes and carrots and fry for 3 to 5 minutes until edges are lightly golden, but not cooked through. Remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- • Potato and carrot cubes show light golden crusts on their outer edges on a holding plate.
- • Skipping the pre-fry step, resulting in mushy vegetables that break down in the sauce.
Sauté Aromatics and Brown Pork
In the same pot with remaining oil, sauté minced garlic and diced onions over medium heat until translucent and fragrant. Add the cubed pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until all sides turn lightly browned and no pink meat remains visible.
- • Pork cubes display an opaque, light-brown seared exterior with glossy, softened onions in the pot.
- • Burning garlic by frying it at too high a temperature before adding meat.
Simmer in Tomato Sauce
Pour in the tomato sauce, water or broth, and drop in the dried bay leaves. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pot bottom, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the pork is fork-tender.
- • A gentle, bubbling red sauce with bay leaves submerged and pork yielding easily when pierced with a fork.
- • Boiling rapidly with high heat, which toughens the pork fibers and dries out the sauce.
Add Vegetables and Finish Stew
Add the fried potatoes, carrots, and sliced bell peppers into the pot. Stir gently and simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens slightly. Season with fish sauce (or salt) and ground black pepper to taste before serving.
- • A glossy, thick red stew with vibrant red bell peppers and tender potato cubes holding their shape.
- • Over-stirring during this stage, which crushes tender potatoes into mush.
Don’t have everything?
- No Fish sauce? Soy sauce or regular table salt
- No Pork shoulder? Boneless chicken thighs cut into chunks
- No Beef broth? Water mixed with half a bouillon cube