Ginisang Ampalaya with Pork Giniling is a good way to eat bitter melon when you want something more filling than the usual ginisang ampalaya with eggs. There is plenty of ground pork in it, along with tomatoes, garlic, and onion, and just enough sauce to spoon over warm rice. This is how I like it when ampalaya is going to be the main dish.

Ampalaya has a bitterness that takes some getting used to. Growing up, it was not exactly the vegetable I looked forward to eating, especially when there were other dishes on the table that I liked better. My mom cooked it often, so I had to learn how to eat it. What I remember is that a simple plate of ginisang ampalaya could turn into a good meal when there was enough meat mixed in, because every spoonful had something savory to go along with the vegetables.

That is why ground pork works so well here. I brown it first with the garlic, onion, and tomatoes, then let it simmer in a little water before the ampalaya goes in. Rubbing the ampalaya with rock salt and letting it sit for a few minutes takes some of the bitterness out, but I do not want to take away its natural taste completely. Three minutes in the pan is usually enough to cook the ampalaya while it keeps a little crunch.

What is Ginisang Ampalaya with Pork Giniling?

Giniling means ground meat, the same word as in my pork giniling. Everything else is the same as the egg version: garlic, onion, tomatoes, and thinly sliced ampalaya, with fish sauce for seasoning. A pound of ground pork gives the meal plenty of protein, and it is filling enough with just rice.

Why This Ginisang Ampalaya with Pork Giniling Recipe Works

• Salt the ampalaya before cooking – Toss the slices with a generous amount of rock salt and leave them for 15 minutes. This helps mellow the bitterness. Rinse them 2 to 3 times afterward and drain well. You want a little bitterness left, not a salty dish.
• Start the garlic in warm oil over low heat – Put it in while the oil is still warming up and give it time to turn light golden brown before the onion and tomatoes go in. Garlic cooked this way flavors the oil, and the pork picks that up.
• Brown the pork before adding water – Let the meat take on some color before breaking it apart, then keep going until it is light to medium brown and in small, even pieces. Once the water goes in, the pork simmers instead of browns, so the color has to come first.
• Save the ampalaya for last – The pork should already be fully cooked and seasoned with patis before the ampalaya goes in. About 3 minutes keeps the slices slightly crisp and bright green, and you can cook them longer if you prefer them soft.

Ingredients

• Ampalaya – Two large ones, seeded and sliced thin. Pick firm, bright green ampalaya and skip the ones turning yellow or orange.
• Ground pork – One pound of regular ground pork. The fat helps flavor the base. Spoon off some of the grease after browning if there is a lot of it in the pan.
• Tomatoes – Two, diced. Cook them until they soften and break down so they become part of the sauce.
• Onion – One, chopped. It goes in after the garlic and cooks until soft.
• Garlic – Six cloves, chopped. They go in first, while the oil is still warming up.
• Cooking oil – Three tablespoons, enough to start the garlic in and brown the pork.
• Water – Half a cup for the simmer. It cooks the pork through and leaves a little sauce at the end.
• Rock salt – A generous amount for the ampalaya only. Rinse it off well before cooking, and taste before adding the patis.
• Fish sauce (patis) – The main seasoning, added to taste after the pork simmers. Start with a little, since the ampalaya may still carry some salt from the rub.
• Ground black pepper – Added at the end, to taste.

1. Place the sliced ampalaya in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle generously with rock salt and toss until evenly coated. Let stand for 15 minutes to help draw out some of the bitterness and excess moisture.
2. Rinse the ampalaya thoroughly with water 2 to 3 times to remove the salt. Drain well and set aside.

1. Pour the cooking oil into a pan over low heat. Add the garlic while the oil is still warming up. Saute gently until it turns light golden brown.
2. Add the onion and continue sauteing until softened. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until they soften and begin to break down.

1. Add the ground pork. Let it cook briefly before breaking it apart with a spatula.
2. Continue sauteing until the pork turns light to medium brown and the meat separates into small, even pieces.
3. Pour in the water and stir. Cover the pan and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pork is fully cooked and the liquid has reduced slightly.
4. Season with fish sauce to taste. Stir to distribute the seasoning evenly.

Ground pork should reach an internal temperature of 160°F. Use a food thermometer if you are not sure it is fully cooked after the 10-minute simmer.

1. Add the drained ampalaya. Gently toss with the ground pork and sauce until evenly combined.
2. Cook for about 3 minutes to keep the ampalaya slightly crisp and bright green. Cook a little longer if you prefer a softer texture.
3. Season with ground black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
4. Transfer to a serving plate and serve warm with steamed white rice.

What to Serve with Ginisang Ampalaya with Pork Giniling

• Steamed Rice – Plain white rice, as much as you want.
• Fried Tilapia – My usual choice of fried fish for this.
• Fried Galunggong – Salted and fried until crisp, with bagoong on the side.
• Patis with calamansi – A small saucer on the side for anyone who wants their plate a little saltier or more sour.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The ampalaya softens as it sits, so it will not have the same crunch the next day, but the pork and sauce hold up well. Warm it in a pan with a splash of water.
• Freezer: The finished dish does not freeze well because the ampalaya turns watery after thawing. If you want to work ahead, freeze the pork base after the simmer and seasoning, before the ampalaya goes in, for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, reheat it in a pan until steaming hot, and add freshly salted and rinsed ampalaya for the last 3 minutes.
• Reheating: A pan over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes works best, with a little water added if the sauce has thickened. The microwave is fine too, but the ampalaya comes out softer.

More Ampalaya Recipes

• Beef with Ampalaya – Beef sirloin marinated for 30 minutes in oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil, then stir-fried with the ampalaya.
• Stuffed Ampalaya – Ampalaya rings filled with a seasoned ground pork mixture, similar to embutido, and baked.
• Ampalaya Salad – Thinly sliced raw ampalaya with red onion and tomato in vinegar, a fresh side for fried fish.
• Ginisang Sardinas with Ampalaya – Canned sardines sauteed with bitter melon, done in about 15 minutes.
• Ginisang Gulay – Sauteed mixed vegetables that include ampalaya and okra.
• Ginisang Ampalaya with Shrimp – The egg version with shrimp added, salted the same way before cooking.

• Rock salt – Fine salt or kosher salt works for the rub. Use less of it, and rinse the same way.
• Ground pork – Ground chicken or ground beef can replace the pork, with the browning time adjusted to the meat. Ground chicken makes a lighter dish with less fat in the sauce, and it should reach 165°F before the ampalaya goes in.
• Fish sauce – Salt, or a seasoning granule like Maggi Magic Sarap, which is what I use in the egg version.
• Tomatoes – Canned diced tomatoes, drained, when fresh ones are not good.
• Ampalaya – Chinese bitter melon, the lighter green and smoother kind, is a little milder and cooks the same way.

Ginisang ampalaya with ground pork is best enjoyed right after cooking, while the vegetable still has a little crunch. The slices continue to soften as they sit in the hot pan, so I would not leave them there too long. Serve it with warm rice and spoon some of the sauce over the top. Growing up, I needed something savory on my plate to enjoy ampalaya, and that is exactly what the ground pork does in this version. A pound of it is enough that I can have this as a complete meal without preparing another meat dish on the side.