Ligo - The Philippines No. 1 Sardines!

Today started out like any other 70 degree, got the day off, Tuesday. I mowed the driveway, played some online scrabble, paid some bills, made dirty clothes clean again. Wanting to ride, but not planning to.

Then in my window to the interverse, a challenge arose. Sashimi-San seemed hesitant to wallow in the Filipino Comfort Food known as

LIGO

And to be honest, I have been quite hesitant myself. They have sat in the pantry since the early days of the Society. I picked them up at SuperLong's a super long time ago. In the beginning I told myself I was getting standards by trying all the fancy tins. Avoiding the Challenging Tins.

So Sashimi-san asked if we've tried them. I replied maybe tonight, he fires back with an authentic Filipino recipe. This really gets me going.

I jump on my bike and haul off to the Bowl to pick up a few things. Forgot my wallet, ride home, back to the bowl, back home. While at the bowl I ask the Beer guy about Filipino beer, he says San Miguel at TJs. I don't want that. So I ride through the Korean District - no luck. All around Chinatown - no luck. "Chinese Beer is the same" they say. "Not if your Filipino" I reply. Over to the Vietnamese District - no luck. So I go up to the Caucasian Whitey District and get a mixed sixer of San Migs Pale Pilsen and Dark Lager. I did pick up a sixer of Tsingtao in Chinatown just in case (they also said San Migs, TJs). And slammed one as soon as I got to TJs. Quite Quenching.

Gussied Up Filipino Canned Sardines for One
- as quoted from Burnt Lumpia

2 tsp. oil
1/4 tsp. red chili flakes
1/2 small onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1 small can sardines in tomato sauce (I prefer Ligo brand found in Asian markets)

In a small pan, heat the oil and chili flakes over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the onion and sweat the onion until softened, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and tomato and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the sardines and tomato sauce and continue cooking until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Serve over steamed rice.

Following the recipe strictly as usual but I've got this cilantro to add at the end. I'm using the Green Tin, Sardines in tomato sauce, as called for, pouring a Red Tin, Sardines in tomato sauce chili added, on a plate with saltines; just for the tasting, no accessories.

GG says she likes to touch them as she digs into the Red Tin's Treasure. She says it helps to touch them to see how much fat they have in them. The fat point is interesting. These come from a different environment than most of the tins talked about here. They don't have much fat, not like those Russians. I may have underrated those Russians. They were good. Then she says these taste like catfood. It's hard to argue that point. I should have tasted them first. I've never thought of these as a product I would enjoy right out of the tin, but cooked up with rice, maybe. I'm going to throw the rest of this tin in the recipe.

You can't tell, but there is half a dozen sardines on that rice. This IS Comfort Food. The warm rice with the fish is good. The sauce is working. The sardines are mild; they are much better than straight out of the tin. I hate to call Ligo low rent, but they are cheap and if you are finding yourself with a tin or two I would definitely recommend this or a similar recipe. And some hot sauce. But generally speaking, there are better fish available.

On their own, Two Tins.

But the recipe brings these up a tin. 

On a side note these are regular Ligos; they offer Premium and Gold Label Tinned Sardines

Beer is the perfect choice for this plate. The Pale Pilsen was thin and boring, but if I was sweating my ass off from either a beach or a sauce it might help. The Dark Lager was much more interesting, maybe figs, maybe caramel, definite malty goodness.

Thanks for getting me out on my bike for the afternoon.