How about giving you all some Friday treat?
A few months ago, Warren and I had dinner at Rumppa’s, a classic American restaurant in the heart of Angeles City where they serve the best American food for a very very reasonable price. We ordered their special Chili Willie’s soup, which is basically chili con carne, and I loved it so much I was inspired, you guessed it, to imitate the recipe.
Here’s my version:
Ingredients:
Ground beef
Red kidney beans, soaked overnight then cooked in plain water until tender, drained
Onions
Garlic
Chili powder
cayenne powder to taste
tomato sauce
salt
red and green bell peppers
finely chopped chili (jalapeno preferrably)
grated cheese for topping
vegetable oil
Procedure :
In a large pan, heat oil, saute garlic and onion. Put in ground beef until brown, then pour in the tomato sauce, bell peppers and the rest of the seasonings. Cover, let simmer for another hour. Make sure you stir it once in a while to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. You can add water to keep the consistency just right. Add the beans, let cook for another three minutes then transfer in a serving bowl. Top with grated cheese. Serve with plain crackers or steamed rice. Enjoy!
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Note: A quick look at Wikipedia tells me that “Chili con carne is the official dish of the U.S. state of Texas. It can be found worldwide in local variations and also in certain American-style fast food restaurants. It should not be confused with carne en chile rojo, a traditional dish of beef and complex red chile sauce commonly found in New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico from which chili con carne derives.”
I wanted to feature a dish that is more native to my hometown (Pampanga) but I could not think of any at the moment except Sisig and that is the one dish I have not had a chance to cook yet, so I had to think of something else.
Sticking to my plan of featuring something native, I thought about Warren’s favorite, BAGNET. For the curious readers who haven’t heard nor tasted ‘bagnet’ yet, I only have two words for you dearies: YOU GOTTA! 
What is ‘bagnet’ anyway? Bagnet is deep-fried pork and is native to the northern regions of the country, specifically the Ilocanos. You may be asking what is so special about deep-fried pork when you just fry it in hot oil. Well, it isn’t really that simple and in fact, the preparation process, which takes hours, sometimes days, is what will make or break the taste of your bagnet. Not to mention of course the crispiness of the skin.
You can choose to prepare the bagnet ahead of time prior to serving, in fact in the northern parts where it originated, pre-cooked bagnet can normally be seen being sold along sidewalks and markets. Those who buy then would just have to deep-fry the meat again at home.
Ingredients:
Pork – choice cut preferrably the side of the pig, unchopped
Lots of garlic
Pepper
Salt
Cooking oil for deep-frying
Toppings : sliced fresh tomatoes, onions and shrimp paste or
Dip : Vinegar, garlic and pepper
Procedure:
Boil the pork along with the rest of the ingredients except the oil until meat is tender. Take the meat out of the water and let dry for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in deep casserole/deep-frying pan. Make sure that the amount of oil will fully submerge the meat. Deep fry in medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool. Deep fry again in high heat for 30 minutes then chop (see picture above) and serve with plain steamed rice and pinakbet (recipe will follow next Tuesday) or side dish of choice.
Note: according to this website, bagnet can last for a week when stored in the fridge and three days when left in normal room condition.
