Pancit!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

(Or Rice Noodles)

Source:

http://panlasangpinoy.com/2009/03/10/pancit-guisado/ (There is a youtube video illustrating the cooking process at the link also.)

Pansit or Pancit Guisado is a Filipino noodle dish and is a staple second to rice. This was brought by the Chinese and was localized since then. This dish uses “Bihon” or rice sticks mixed with pork, chicken, and vegetebles.

Ingredients:
1 lb pancit bihon (Rice Noodles)
1/2 lb pork, cut into small thin slices
1/2 lb chicken, cooked, deboned, and cut into thin slices
1/8 lb peapods or snow pea
1 cup carrot
1/2 small cabbage, chopped
1 cup celery leaves, chopped finely
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 pc chicken cube
5 tbsp soy sauce
3 to 4 cups water (!! I used 2 cups after going with 3 the first time and feeling like there was way too much soup to cook off, I was much happier with 2 cups!!)

Cooking Procedure:
1. In a large pot, Saute the garlic and onion
2. Add the pork and chicken then let cook for 2 minutes
3. Add the chicken cube and water then simmer for 15 minutes
4. Put in the carrots, peapod, cabbage, and celery leaves and simmer for a few minutes
5. Remove all the ingredients in the pot except for the liquid and set them aside
6. In the pot with the liquid in, add the soy sauce and mix well
7. Add the pancit bihon (makes sure to first soak it in water for about 10 minutes) and mix well. Cook until liquid evaporates completely
8. Put-in the vegetables and meat that were previously cooked and simmer for a minute or two
9. Serve hot. Share and enjoy!

Comments:

I just made this for the second time in a week today and was very pleased with the results. First time I used the wrong type of noodle and used shrimp and chicken, the shrimp was overcooked by the lengthy simmering process, second time I used the correct rice noodles and used pork only instead of pork and chicken.

I skipped the celery leaves and used 2 instead of 3-4 cups of water and was very happy with the result:



It tastes just like I expect and am accustomed to.

First outing instead of rice noodles (pancit bihon), which I thought I had, I used bean vermicelli which kind of look the same but are clearish instead of whitish, the difference is subtle when they are uncooked. The consistency and flavor are different, it still tasted good but it's better as rice noodles.

Because I had shrimp and chicken laying around instead of pork and chicken for the first outing, I used that, but keeping the shrimp simmering 15 minutes after already sauteeing them is just too long, they wind up overcooked, although still not too bad. It would be better sauteeing them a few minutes until they just turn white and then removing them until the end, or throwing them in near the very end to avoid overcooking.

The main issue I have with the recipe as written is the amount of water. I took them at their word and used 3 measuring cups of water and there was a giant lake of soup that took quite a while to cook off. Two cups was more the thing. If you watch the video, it doesn't look like there's anywhere near 3-4 cups of water/liquid that the noodles are being added to, it's a pretty small amount that contains the flavor from the garlic, onions, meat and veggies that were there before and cooks right into the pre-soaked noodles, rendering them delicious.

One should also note that the sneaky video cook adds a spoonful of oyster sauce in addition to the soy sauce, for flavor, that isn't mentioned anywhere in the recipe, so I did that also on the second outing.

One thing I will say about this dish, there's something about it where it seems even more tasty as leftovers, something about the flavor incorporating into the noodles even more overnight. Some rice dishes I've made are like this too.

The Pancit noodles you should buy look like this and can be found in any Asian grocery:



Of course if you buy the Filipino version they will be labelled "pancit bihon" so you'll know you are okay. There are Chinese versions of it also and will say something like "rice stick" or "rice noodle" or "rice threads" but should have the frizzy wiggly thing appearance. Bean vermicelli looks similar but the noodles are clear, which is harder to tell when they are dry and uncooked. If it says "vermicelli" or "bean threads" on the package and doesn't say anything about rice, you might not have the right stuff, important safety tip! (Although they are still good.)

Also, if you are like me, you will add red chilies/sauce to the final product and be glad you did, but if you are making it for a number of people, only add it to your own bowl as this may not be everyone's cup of tea.

[hippywife]

1. Thanx, MM

Appreciate you coming over and sharing it. I have a pork loin in the freezer and needed something new and different to fix with the leftovers. Sounds yummy!

:hi:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. Oh, also, chicken "cube" = bouillon cube. At least that's what I interpreted it as, and used.

[kestrel91316]

3. Sounds great. But I don't want a followup post about balut.