Afritada (another Filipino stew)

Afritada is another yummy Filipinio stew. The memories of my grandma come flooding back EVERY time I make this dish. Sometime, I make it just to see her face again. I miss her a lot. Since she has passed away no one in the family made it. For a while I was trying to get the recipe from one of them but no one could really tell me it. Besides my Aunt Maria, no one else really made it. It's sooooo damn good I'm not really sure why they didn't. I wanted to make it so bad but without really knowing what was in it, I was kinda out of luck....then there was Aimee!
Aimee is a coworker of mine and a fellow Philipino. She had brought in some leftover afritada that her Dad had made and shared it with me. The moment that first bite hit my palet the memories came pouring in. I had to hold back the tears. At the same moment I was so happy to be eating it again and now I was one step closer to getting the recipe. Aimee, after quite sometime :), finally got it for me and now the dish has once again become a part of my recipe routine. There are a small handfull of dishes that have to be made often and even sometimes craved for. Afritada is one of them. I took Aimee's recipe and used it as a guide for my own and now I am sharing it with you. Who knows, there maybe someone else out there that is in a similar boat and needs this dish to reconnect with a lost loved one. Even if your not, try it. You will love it! It's thick and comforting and just plain ol' delicious.

salt and pepper
cooking oil ( I use olive oil)
1 white onion sliced
1 red pepper sliced
1 yellow pepper sliced
1 green pepper sliced
5 golden potatoes thick dice
fish sauce
1 can of tomatoe sauce
2 C chicken stock
your meat of choice....Chicken legs & thighs, beef for stewing, pork shoulder etc... etc.... in this recipe I used pork shoulder.


Start by coating the bottom of a large pot....Le Cruset is the best....with a little olive oil. When the pan is hot enough add the onions and a little salt an pepper to taste. Once the onions have softened add the meat. Let brown and salt and pepper again to taste.

Deglaze the pot with about 2 TLBSP of fish sauce.
Add the peppers, potatoes, tomatoe sauce, and stock. Give a good stir and let cook slowly for about 45min. It's tradition to eat it on a bed of steamed rice.
Many people ask if this dish can be made in a crock pot. I would never do it but I am sure that it can.