Gusto ko ng baboy!

“My brother is not a pig!”, sobbed Nora Aunor in Minsan May Isang Gamu-Gamo to an American Serviceman who shot his brother who mistook him for a wild boar. The incident compelled Corazon de la Cruz (Aunor) to cancel her trip in the land of milk and honey to work as a nurse.

This scene was so powerful that aside from awakening my senses to the struggle of Filipinos against the Americans in the Philippines, also introduced me to the use of the word pig. Prior to that, the only pig I knew were the ones in the corral which my dad raised, but from thereon I got the liking of using pig or baboy in anything I find unacceptable- mostly on how people behaved.

But, unhealthy as it seems, its meat product otherwise known as pork can come in real succulent once cooked the right way. Every day, I dream of crackling chicharon in my mouth like there’d be no tomorrow that oftentimes I catch myself singing to Radioactive Sago Project’s Gusto ko ng Baboy! So giving in to temptation, I cooked Pork Nuggets in Lemon and Pepper for our second cookfest, which is an original recipe of mabangisnalobo.

Now, this does not need any elaborate preparation as it involves only three major steps: marinating, coating, then frying. Firstly, you need the following to achieve this yummy mamoy recipe:

1/2 kilo pork

2- 3 lemons

salt and pepper

1 egg

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Here’s the drill. Cut the pork to bite-size nugget sizes- you can actually have this done upon ordering at the supermarket to save you time. To marinate, squeeze the lemons to the pork and sprinkle some pepper and salt. Save some lemon and set aside marinated pork for at least an hour. Whisk egg together with the remaining lemon to make a mixture. Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Dip each pork nugget in the egg mixture then dredge in flour with salt and pepper. Fry in hot oil for about 4 to 6 minutes on each side, then you’re done! No frills, see? This serves 4-5 and costs roughly PHP 120. If no lemon’s available, you can rely on good ol’ calamansi, but that also means lots of cutting and squeezing!

Serve on its own with rice and steamed greens or take as side dish to your pasta. The lemon gives that sweet tangy taste to the nugget, whilst the salt and pepper gives it some bang! According to Wikipedia (“if it’s on Wikipedia, it must be true”- Chastity in Jennifer’s Body), lemon juice can be used as a short-term preservative on certain foods that tend to oxidize and turn brown after being sliced, such as apples, bananas and avocados, where its acid denatures the enzymes which cause browning and degradation. You probably know lemon for its antiseptic properties when your momma forced you to drink anything lemony to ward off those bacteria when you are sick!

Three decades later, the line bursted by La Aunor still reverberates in the annals of Philippine Cinema. Three decades later, the Filipinos are still pursuing that great American dream. Three decades later, we are still confronted with the same struggle against the Americanization of the Filipino nation.

You either spend your time sour graping, or sweet lemoning.

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Some more lemony tips:

• Get the most juice out of your lemon by warming it in the microwave for 15 seconds or rolling it with your hand on the counter if it is at room temperature.
• You may store lemons at room temperature for about two weeks. They will keep for up to six weeks in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use lemons as quickly as possible after cutting.