Bejenjenas Guisadas con Cerdo - Ethnic Foods R Us

Bejenjenas Guisadas con Cerdo (Braised Pork and Eggplants) is a nationwide popular meal in the Dominican Republic. Try some, you will see why!

(Photo Attributed to Author: N509FZ)

Bejenjenas Guisadas con Cerdo Recipe-

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork shoulder meat, chopped into bite-sized cubes
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. corn oil
2 cups of water, plus or minus
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 large onion, peeled and rough chopped
2 lb. of either baby aubergines (eggplants) or chayote
2 large red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into long strips
3 cups of chopped Roma plum tomatoes
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and rough chopped
1 Scotch Bonnet hot chili pepper, chopped fine*

* Note: for very hot & spicy Bejenjenas Guisadas con Cerdo, leave seeds in. If you want your dish not quite so hot, discard the seeds. And if you do not like hot and spicy dishes at all, leave the pepper out altogether – Scotch Bonnet peppers are extremely hot!

Directions:

Season your meat with salt and pepper to taste.
In a skillet over medium-high flame, heat the corn oil. Sauté the pork until nicely browned, then add in 1/2 cup of water, reduce the heat to just a lively simmer, cover the skillet, and simmer-cook for 25 minutes. Stir often, scraping the skillet bottom, and add water as needed.
Now add in the carrots, stir together, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Again, stir occasionally, and add water as needed to prevent the dish from drying out and burning.
When the carrots are tender, allow the liquid to evaporate completely. Add in the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, until they become soft, translucent, and fragrant.
Now add and stir in the tomato, aubergine (or chayote), Scotch Bonnet pepper, bell peppers and oregano, and also add in a little water – 3 or 4 tablespoons.
Simmer over low flame until all the vegetables are nice and tender, stirring and adding water as necessary. You want a fairly thick sauce to develop.
When the vegetables are well cooked, do a taste test, and add salt and pepper if need be.
Serve your Bejenjenas Guisadas con Cerdo while nice and hot. Traditional side dishes are rice, salad, and slices of ripe avocado.