Pork Afritada Recipe with UmamiBee Dish Lifter and Going Bananas – Classic Filipino Tomato Stew
MotherBee's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Rich, savoury tomato sauce with a gentle sweetness, tender pork, and a slight tang from the banana ketchup base.
Texture: Fall-apart pork, soft potatoes, and vibrant capsicum in a thick, glossy sauce.
Ease: One pot, minimal prep, 50 minutes. A true set-and-forget comfort dish.
Why You'll Love It: This is Sunday lunch food. The kind that fills the house with an irresistible smell and empties the pot before you can serve seconds.
Hello, I am MotherBee, and Pork Afritada is the dish that turns an ordinary Sunday into something special. Rich tomato sauce, tender pork, soft golden potatoes, and colourful capsicum. Simple ingredients that come together into something deeply satisfying.
Today we are using UmamiBee Dish Lifter as the saute base and UmamiBee Going Bananas as part of the tomato-based sauce. Together they build a sauce with more depth and complexity than the original recipe ever achieves with plain tomato paste.
Origin and Historical Background
Afritada is a Spanish-influenced Filipino dish. The name comes from the Spanish fritada, meaning fried, referring to the searing step before braising. During the 300-year Spanish colonisation, Filipino cooks absorbed this technique and made it entirely their own, incorporating banana ketchup, fish sauce, and bay leaves alongside the tomato base.
Today Afritada is a fiesta staple, cooked in large batches for celebrations. It belongs to a family of Filipino tomato stews that includes Mechado, Menudo, and Caldereta, each distinct in its protein, vegetables, and personality.
What Does Afritada Mean?
Afritada comes from the Spanish fritada, derived from fritar meaning to fry. The initial searing step before braising is where the name comes from and is also where most of the flavour is built.
Modern Versions and Regional Variations
Traditional Afritada uses pork or chicken with potatoes, carrots, and capsicum. Modern versions add olives, green peas, or liver spread. Some use coconut milk for a creamier sauce.
Visayas: Some versions add coconut milk to the sauce for extra richness.
Ilocos: May use more vinegar than tomato, reflecting the region's preference for tanginess.
Recipe Card
Pork Afritada with UmamiBee Dish Lifter and Going Bananas
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 to 50 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
Tools needed: Large heavy-bottomed pan or pot with lid, wooden spoon, sharp knife and chopping board.
Ingredients
800g pork shoulder or pork belly, cut into serving pieces
2 (30g) tablespoons UmamiBee Dish Lifter (Umami Paste)
3 (60g) tablespoons UmamiBee Going Bananas Banana Ketchup
1 cup (250ml) water or pork broth
2 medium (300g) potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 medium (150g) carrot, cut into chunks
1 medium (120g) red capsicum, cut into squares
1 medium (120g) green capsicum, cut into squares
2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
3 pieces dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Step 1. Season pork with pepper. Heat oil over high heat and sear each side for 3 to 4 minutes until browned. Remove and set aside.
Step 2. Reduce heat to medium. Add Dish Lifter and stir for 30 seconds.
Step 3. Add Going Bananas, fish sauce, and broth. Stir well.
Step 4. Return pork and add bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce to low. Cover and braise for 20 minutes.
Step 5. Add potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook for 15 more minutes.
Step 6. Add capsicum. Cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 7. Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning. Rest 5 minutes then serve over steamed rice.
Tips for Success
Always sear the pork first. The Maillard reaction during searing creates savoury flavour compounds that enrich the sauce throughout the entire braise. Skipping this step gives you a flat, pale sauce no matter how long you cook it.
Add capsicum last. Capsicum added early turns brown, soft, and loses its sweetness. Add it in the final 8 to 10 minutes to preserve its colour, slight crunch, and fresh flavour.
Use UmamiBee Going Bananas as the sauce base. Its fruit sweetness and tang create a sauce with far more depth and complexity than plain tomato paste. The result tastes like it has been cooking for hours even when it has not.
Low and slow is the only way. A rapid boil makes pork tough and dry. Low heat with the lid on for 20 to 30 minutes is what transforms it into the tender, sauce-soaked pieces this dish promises.
Taste before every seasoning addition. Going Bananas and Dish Lifter both contain salt. Always taste before adding fish sauce or more seasoning.
Common Questions
Can I make this with chicken?
Yes. Bone-in chicken thighs work beautifully. Reduce the braising time to 25 to 30 minutes and skip the initial searing step if you prefer.
My potatoes keep falling apart. How do I fix this?
Add them later in the cooking process, after the pork has already had 20 minutes of braising time. Check them every 5 minutes once added. They should be tender but still holding their shape.
The sauce is too thin. What do I do?
Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. The sauce will reduce and thicken naturally as the liquid evaporates. Potatoes also release starch into the sauce as they cook, which helps bind it.
Can I add olives?
Yes. Green olives are a classic Afritada addition. Add them with the capsicum in the last 10 minutes. They are already very salty so reduce your fish sauce accordingly.
Storage and Food Safety
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The flavour deepens overnight. Freeze without potatoes for up to 2 months. Potatoes become mealy after freezing. Add fresh potatoes when reheating.
Reheat to 75°C. Cool completely before refrigerating.
Ingredient and nutrition notes
Per-serving nutrition values have not been calculated and verified for this recipe. Nutrient levels vary with ingredient brands, cooking yields and portion sizes. Check product labels for sodium and allergens, and follow safe food handling practices.
Ingredient and nutrition notes
Per-serving nutrition values have not been calculated and verified for this recipe. Nutrient levels vary with ingredient brands, cooking yields and portion sizes. Check product labels for sodium and allergens, and follow safe food handling practices.
MotherBee's Notes
Never add the capsicum at the beginning. That bright red and green colour is what makes Afritada look as good as it tastes. Add it last, cook it just until tender, taste the sauce before serving, and always let the dish rest 5 minutes before plating. Those small details are what make the difference.
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A note from MotherBee
My food science background taught me to look closely at how ingredients, heat, fermentation and time create flavour. UmamiBee brings that understanding into simple products that help home cooks make satisfying food quickly.
Cook with UmamiBee
Ready to try it? Find UmamiBee Dish Lifter Original in the UmamiBee store. You can also explore UmamiBee Going Bananas.
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