Tokwa’t Baboy

 Tokwa’t Baboy is a Filipino dish made from tofu and pork with tangy vinegar dressing. It's delicious as an appetizer, as a topping for keys, or as a main dish.

Living with someone who has a whole different food preference than mine can be both a bane and a boon.

G doesn’t like a lot of Filipino food, so when I make some for me, it means extra work of preparing a separate meal for him. On the bright side, that means MORE for me!

Tokwa’t baboy is a Filipino dish made of boiled pork cuts, crispy tofu cubes, and a dipping mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, shallots, and chili peppers. It’s popular as an appetizer with ice-cold beer as well as a filling side dish served with rice or congee.

Preparing pork

• Parts of the pork face, such as the ears and saliva, are commonly used for Tokwat Baby, but you can skip it and use the whole pork belly.
• Boil the pork face until soft and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add spices such as onion, garlic, bay leaf and pepper to enhance flavor.

Deep fried tofu

Crispy tofu is the second star of the show, and we have to cook it properly to show its best taste.

• Use strong tofu, not silk or soft!
• Thoroughly remove the tofu from the packing liquid. Wrap the tofu block with a thick layer of paper towels, place it on a wire rack, and weigh it with a saucer or bowl for about 15 to 20 minutes to remove moisture.
• You can cut the block into 1-inch thick slices and cut into cubes after deep-frying or fry already cubed for crispy edges.
• Deep-fry tofu in hot oil, turning as needed, until golden and crisp. Use enough oil, about 2 inches deep, to ensure the tofu is fully submerged.
• Maintain the oil at 350 F to 375 F. Do not overcrowd the pan and fry in batches as needed to keep the temperature from plummeting.

Dipping sauce

• To complete the dish is a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, and pork broth with hints of pepper spice. Feel free to adjust the quantity to get your desired sweet and tangy medley.
• Boil without stirring to remove the acidic taste.
• You can pre-prepare the sauce and refrigerate to match the flavors.

How to serve and store

• Tokwa't baboy itself can be enjoyed as an appetizer or main dish. It can also be presented as a topping with a logo (corner).

• To prepare ahead of time, I recommend storing only pork and sauce and cooking a fresh batch of tofu when ready to serve for the best texture. Keep in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months.

• To reheat, place in a saucepan and heat to an internal temperature of 165 F. Roast the tofu and combine.