I Say Bulalo, You Say Pochero

I grew up thinking that pochero was nilaga in tomato sauce with saging na saba and kamote (lately we mixed in chorizo de bilbao and ganbanzos), not bad but we prefer nilaga.

But in Cebu, at Abuhan Uno in particular, pochero (with the addition of bamboo shoots) is bulalo, long cooked beef shank in that flavorful and comforting broth.  What makes bulalo better than nilaga is the utak, that marrow lodged in the shank is pure bliss.  It'a always fun to watch people trying to extract that creamy goodness.  So simple yet so sinful.  Best served with steaming rice, toyo, calamansi and lots of sili.  Haaayyy...

 

I'm just not sure if pochero is the (beef) part or the name of the dish because I saw a Sizzling Pochero in the menu.  The waiter explained that this is pochero with a special sauce served on a sizzling plate.  Sure sounds like sizzling bulalo to me which we didn't order.  I think the bulalo/pochero is enough cholesterol overload for one meal.

Bulalo...errr pochero, however you call it, in the words of Alton Brown is definitely good eats.

A Morning at Taboan Market

I've been forwarned, "Wag ka maligo bago pumunta sa Taboan."  But alas, the knock on the door came too late.  After taking a shower and carefully blow drying my hair, everyone was told that we were going to Tabaon Market.

Taboan looks and smells like a typical market.  An endless sea of dried fish welcomed us and the smell is something else, dumidikit kahit sa buhok.

All kinds of dried pusit

Fish, fish, fish everywhere

Danggit retails for about Php450 a kilo. The best ones are from Bantayan.  I think the most expensive seafood there is the hand shredded dried pusit which sells for Php600.

I also bought dried mangoes for Php200 a kilo and mango puree, I forgot how much but definitely way cheaper than the branded ones at the grocery.

The morning at Taboan was well spent.

We brought our purchases and the smell of Taboan back to our hotel much to the chagrin of the people we were in the elevator with.  As soon as I reached our room I headed for the shower.