The weather in Philly has been interesting, to say the least, but this week we were graced with a warm and sunny day. Coincidentally that delightful weather fell on the day that we welcomed LALO and their vibrant Filipino fare into the COOK kitchen! For our 16 guests this day truly felt like a vacation to the Philippines. LALO was created by the Pelago team, who have put on a series of pop-ups throughout Philly showcasing Filipino cuisine. You can find LALO’s Filipino comfort food at their location in the newly revamped Bourse Food Hall. Read on to get a glimpse of the food and drink from their Filipino feast at COOK, and for a pineapple pickling liquid recipe!

Drinking is a very social activity in Filipino culture, and in fact, drinking in a way had a role in the formation of Team LALO. Chef Michael Cher explained that he met the rest of the team – Jill, Resa and Neal – on a late boozy night. Lucky for our guests, Resa Mueller has tended bar at multiple locations throughout the city, so she paired a drink with each course.

The first cocktail served was a gin-based drink with vermouth, seaweed and atchara (pickled unripe papaya). The pickling aspect  would come full circle, appearing in the adobo ribs entrée which we will cover later.

After enjoying a Filipino Caesar salad, our guests were treated to a classic noodle dish in the Philippines known as Pancit Palabok. Sitting on a base of rice noodles were a couple of garlic prawns, topped with crumbled chicharron and scallions. Chef Michael said “when eating whole prawns don’t be afraid to suck on the heads to get those delicious juices out”. The ingredient that made this dish unique was the talangka, which literally translates to crab fat. Jill Encarnacion informed everyone that talangka more accurately refers to the crab roe. In the Philippines crabs are mainly used for their roe, but are also sometimes fried whole like soft shell crabs. Accompanied with this course was Resa’s ginger-heavy rum beverage with citrus and honey. She explained that her mother would make the non-alcoholic version of this drink for her in the colder months (not that there are many in the Philippines). The zippiness from the ginger along with the honey make this drink a great cold cure. The fresh ginger was direct from Farm 51,  photographer/urban farmer Neal Santos‘ West Philly farm!

Now for the star of the show – the grilled adobo ribs! On a trip to the Philippines, Michael gained a tip from Jill’s dad while they were grilling pork belly. He uses plenty of vinegar because it really helps break down the meat, making it extremely tender. For our dinner Michael marinated the ribs in an adobo mix of soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper, onions, garlic and bay leaves. After finishing them on the grill they were brushed with sauce and served with jasmine rice, pickled red onion and pineapple. If you’d like to try your hand at pickling at home, here’s LALO’s pineapple pickling liquid measurements:

Pineapple Pickle Liquid

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1.5 oz ginger

Use this to infuse a tropical taste into your vegetables to break up the monotony of winter! Or just head over to The Bourse Food Hall and hit up LALO for an authentic taste of Filipino cuisine. Be sure to tell them COOK sent you!