Eggplant Torta

I love eggplant and one of my favorite ways to cook it is by combining it with a meat torta or omelette. The smoky, meaty flavor and texture of eggplants goes very well with the taste of well- sautéed ground pork. My grandmother, who was a Spanish, Dutch-Filipina mestiza would sauté tomatoes, onions and garlic for hours in Spanish olive oil until is was reduced to a heavenly thick and oily consistency. I noticed that because of convenience and time constraints we are missing out on alot of things that the last generation took for granted, like cooking methods that bring out the natural juices and flavor of food without having to add any artificial flavorings and using fresh and indigenous ingredients instead of canned, imported ones. I miss all the childhood foods that we used to have in abundance in Cavite; the pospas (arroz caldo) that was almost force-fed to us as kids that I can’t wait to experience again (now that I’m adult and know better); the Cavite tamales that we we would consume before dinner (which would really get the goat of our elders because they mistakenly thought it would ruin our appetite) and the kutchinta that I am confidently declaring as one of the best if not the best in the Philippines and even today is still made the old fashioned way. Chewy from real rice flour and lye, smoky from the wood-fired mongkok and naturally brown from the muscovado.

The torta in these pictures contain one ingredient that my grandmother would not have thought of adding. Because I always have some roasted bell peppers marinating in olive oil and garlic I decided to try and add some to my torta. It blended well with the other ingredients and I will be adding this new ingredient to my future tortas.

Whew, all these food thoughts from tortang talong, wonder what thoughts will invade my mind next while I boil the beef neck bones for the puchero…

Tortang Talong (Eggplant Torta)

Select 4 large, fat eggplants. Roast over an open gas flame OR place the eggplants in a pan with 1/4″ sides. Roast at 300*F until the skin becomes opaque. Turn frequently to roast all sides of the eggplant. Can also be done in a toaster oven, roast eggplant in batches. Remove the skin while still warm. Slice the eggplant crosswise and then length-wise (the size of your eggplant pieces will depend on the size of your pan) and set aside to cool completely.

Sautée 3 sliced very ripe tomatoes, 5 crushed cloves of garlic and 1 large sliced onion in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Mix well and then add 200 grams lean ground pork. Mix to break up the meat. When the pork looks a bit white and is starting to release its’ juices cover tightly and lower the heat. Mix and break up the meat every 5 minutes or so. You may need to add tablespoonfuls of water (or unsalted pork broth) every now and then to prevent the tomatoes from scorching and the meat from drying out). Continue mixing until the oil resurfaces and the tomatoes have been reduced to curly bits of red skin. You will hear a difference in the “sound” of the mixture as the fat will start to react with the liquids in the pan. The reason why the meat is sautéed with the tomatoes, garlic and onion is to prevent the meat from smelling too strongly (in tagalog, to remove the “lansa”) and to infuse the meat with more flavor. Taste the mixture and add salt and freshly milled black pepper. Remove the cover and turn up the heat. If you’ve decided to try the marinated roasted bell pepper variation add it now (one whole piece, diced will suffice). Continue cooking until almost all liquid evaporates and pork is slightly colored. Taste again and adjust seasoning. Remove the mixture to a plate and cool completely.

Beat 2 medium eggs in a bowl and mix in your cooled pork mixture. Wipe your pan (preferably non-stick because the eggplant absorbs fat like a sponge) with a small amount of olive oil and lay the sliced egg plant cut-side down on the pan for about half a minute. Invert and carefully spoon the pork mixture over the eggplant. Press and allow the egg mixture to spill over the edges. When the top looks set carefully turn the omelette over with a pancake turner and press gently. Remove the eggplant carefully to a plate lined with paper-towels. Transfer to serving platter and serve.