How to make Giniling Guisado/Ginisa – Basic Sautéed Ground Pork/Beef (Filipino Picadillo)
My family's tried and tested formula recipe for a basic and versatile ground meat dish that's perfectly seasoned and tasty - Ginisa or Giniling Guisado (Filipino Picadillo). Simply add your favorite vegetables to the mix for a complete meal or add extra tomato sauce to make it a yummy stew!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive or Vegetable oil, or as needed
- 6 cloves Garlic, peeled and sliced, (love garlic so I always use a lot!)
- 1 medium Onion, chopped
- 1 lb ground pork or beef, though pork is traditionally used in the Philippines
- 3 roma or plum tomatoes, diced and seeded (if desired)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or fish sauce (or a combo of soy sauce and oyster sauce - the choice of liquid seasoning is up to you), adjust amount to the level of saltiness you prefer
- ½ cup water, or as needed
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup tomato sauce, or to taste, (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil to medium in a deep skillet or wok. Sauté the garlic and onions for about 2 minutes or until fully aromatic.
- Add the ground meat and cook until it changes its color.
- Crumble the meat with a fork to prevent clumping as you brown it. Season with a little salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add the diced tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce (or preferred liquid seasoning) and water.
- Bring to a boil. Cover, then simmer on low heat for about half an hour to allow the meat to absorb the flavor of the liquid. If you want to make this more substantial, you can add vegetables (like diced potatoes and carrots - about 1.5 cups each) at this point. Adding either tomato paste or sauce at the end of cooking could also make the flavor more robust. Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary. You can sprinkle a little bit of sugar to enhance the flavor. Serve with rice.
Notes
TIPS & TRICKS
So how can we use this basic ground meat recipe in other dishes?
Add your favorite vegetables once the meat is done and cook until tender. Use cabbage, squash, green or Asian long beans, chayote, etc.
Add to baked beans so it becomes “true” Pork and Beans.
This is also a great stuffing for cabbage or even for bell peppers.
Indispensable for eggplant omelette (Tortang Talong) and Spanish/Potato omelette. If you intend to use this as a stuffing/meat filling, let the water evaporate as you cook it. But if you wish to add veggies to the meat then retain the liquid so you have enough to pour over the rice.
Make this ahead, freeze and use as the need arises!
Nutrition
Calories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 17gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 621mgPotassium: 414mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 318IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!