Sinigang

Instructions

1. 1 Place the beef short ribs in a large pot with six cups of water and the quartered onion. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming the grey foam that rises to the surface for the first five minutes to ensure a clear, clean-tasting broth.
2. 2 Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the beef for one and a half hours until the meat is tender and the broth is rich and beefy. If using shrimp or fish instead, skip this long simmer and proceed directly to building the sour broth.
3. 3 Add the quartered tomatoes to the simmering broth and cook for five minutes until they begin to break apart and release their juice. Stir in the tamarind soup base or strained fresh tamarind juice, which gives sinigang its signature sour flavour.
4. 4 Add the sliced radish rounds and green bean pieces to the pot. Cook for eight minutes until the radish is translucent and tender throughout. Taste the broth and adjust the sourness by adding more tamarind base if needed; the sour tang should be pronounced.
5. 5 Add the finger chilies whole to the broth for gentle heat. Season with fish sauce and salt to achieve the essential balance of sour, salty, and savoury. The broth should be mouth-puckeringly tangy with enough salt to support the acidity.
6. 6 Add the kangkong or spinach leaves in the final two minutes of cooking, pushing them into the hot broth just until wilted but still bright green. Overcooking the greens ruins their colour and makes them slimy, so time this addition carefully.
7. 7 Ladle the sinigang into a large serving bowl, arranging the vegetables and meat attractively in the clear, orange-tinted sour broth. Serve family-style with steamed jasmine rice on the side, spooning the hot broth over each bowl of rice.