Pork Estofado

Ingredients:

¾ cup sugar
1 head garlic, cloves crushed
1 kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into cubes
1 bay leaf
1 carrot, sliced into ½-inch rounds
1 cup vinegar
½ cup Silverswan soy sauce
1 cup water
¼ cup corn oil
2 pieces French bread, cut into 1-inch squares and fried in oil
3 saba (plaintain) bananas, sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces

Cooking Procedures:

1. Heat oil in a casserole. Fry the garlic until brown. Remove garlic from pan and set aside.
2. Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and water in a mixing bowl. Set aside to allow flavors to blend.
3. Pour in remaining oil and heat. Add pork and brown lightly on all sides. Pour in vinegar mixture. Bring to the boil, then lower heat to simmer. (Do not stir, or the vinegar will have a “raw” taste).
4. Add bay leaf and simmer for about 20 minutes or until pork is almost tender.
5. Add the carrot and, 5 minutes later, the bananas. When bananas and carrot are almost tender, about 5 minutes more, stir in pan de sal.
6. Continue simmering until pork is fully cooked and bananas and carrot are completely tender, about 5 minutes. Garnish with French bread squares.
7. Serve Hot with rice.