Chicken and Pork Hamonado with Pineapple : Instant Pot + Stove-top
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Hamonado is a most requested recipe of my friends. So, I cooked this Filipino classic this time as Chicken and Pork Hamonado with Pineapple – in two alternative ways: in the Instant Pot or on the stove-top.
In the Philippines, hamonado comes from the word ‘ham’ which describes how a dish is ‘cured’ with sweet sauces then cooked till it looks and almost tastes like the flavors of a ham. It is sweet-salty and divine.
I used chicken thighs which can range in size. In typical grocery packs here in America, there are about four bone-in, skin-on thighs weighing between 1.5 to 2 pounds. I also had a pound of pork belly which I cut into 2-inch sized cubes.
The first time I made this recipe, the chicken was oven-roasted and it was December then. Today, it’s a hot summer day in August and I didn’t want to heat up the kitchen. So, it was convenient to cook in the Instant Pot multi-cooker. It also cooked faster.
Once the timer buzzed, and after the valve released the hissing, warm steam, I carefully opened the lid. I plunged the ladle inside to scoop up glistening pieces of chicken thighs and pork belly cubes. The meat was sweet, soft and succulent. The light red sauce swirling around was flavored with fruity pineapple juice. When I plated the dish next to a bowl of steaming white rice, it was splendid.
The past weeks’ news has brought so much sadness to many in the States. I pray that when sadness happens, it paves the way to happier times for peace to prevail. All things break. But time mends the pain. All is not lost, folks. We will get through these sad times – let’s do it with good food, and a lot of love.
Chicken and Pork Hamonado with Pineapple: Instant Pot + Stove-top
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on about 4 pieces
- 1 pound pork belly fat trimmed, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 can (8 ounces) canned pineapple chunks reserve the pineapple liquid for marinade
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon Maggi seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons patis (fish sauce)
- 1 Tablespoon calamansi juice (or use lemon juice)
- 2 cloves garlic peeled, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper powder
- 1 small red or green bell pepper sliced into strips; seeded
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil to brown the meat
- boiled rice for serving
Instructions
To marinate chicken:
- In a large, non-reactive bowl, marinate the chicken and pork with the pineapple juice from the can, Maggi seasoning, patis (fish sauce), calamansi juice, garlic, and paprika. Blend well. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or up to overnight.
To cook in the Instant Pot:
- Select Saute to pre-heat the inside pot. After 1 to 2 minutes, when the inside pot is hot enough, add the vegetable oil. Add the chicken and pork. Brown the meat for 5 minutes till light brown. Turn the pieces with a long turner or tongs.Click Cancel to turn off the Saute function.
- Add the brown sugar over the meat. Pour the additional 1 cup pineapple juice and the chicken broth.Season with salt and black pepper.
- Close and lock the lid. Set the valve to Sealing.Press Manual and cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes.When buzzer sounds to announce cooking is done, do a Natural Release. When the float pin drops, it is safe to unlock the lid. Open the lid carefully.
- Add the pineapple chunks and the sliced bell peppers. Stir around to blend with ingredients.Return the lid and lock in place. Press Keep Warm function and continue cooking for 5 minutes so pineapple and peppers blend with the ingredients and flavors set in.Press Cancel to turn off. Unlock and open the lid. Serve the Chicken and Pork Hamonado warm with rice.
To cook stove-top:
- Marinate the chicken and pork pieces with marinade ingredients as instructed above.In a large stockpot, over medium high heat, add the oil. When oil is hot enough, add the meats. Cook for 5 minutes to brown the pieces.Pour the pineapple juice and broth. Season with salt and black pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat for 50 minutes till meats are cooked completely.Add the brown sugar, pineapple chunks and bell pepper slices. Stir and blend with ingredients. Serve the dish warm with rice.
Notes on the Instant Pot
- After the initial Saute function, it takes about 17 minutes for the Instant Pot to preheat before the High Pressure cooking time begins. For other multi-cooker brands, please consult the product manual.For safety precautions, use only accessories recommended for the Instant Pot - like metal or silicone. Do not use glassware. Please read the manual for complete safety instructions.
Cook's comments:
- If preferred, you can also substitute 1 cup fresh pineapple cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 1 cup freshly-pureed pineapple juice for this recipe in place of the canned fruit and juice.
Nutrition
Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.
Did you like this recipe? I have more Filipino Instant Pot recipes in my newest cookbook Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Traditional Philippine Cooking in A Multicooker Pot by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino. Buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.
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Disclosure: Instant Pot is the brand name of a multi-cooker that cooks in high and low pressure. I was not paid by the Instant Pot company to mention the product or brand nor endorse it. This is not an ad. My views and opinions are my own.
