"Pancit Luglug"

Ingredients:

• 500 grams rice sticks (pancit luglug)
• 2 packs oriental gravy mix (palabok mix sauce), I used Mama Sita's
• 5 cups water
• 1 tbsp anatto seeds with lye water (achuete na may lihia)
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 3 tbsps cooking oil
• 6 cloves garlic, finely pounded
• 2 medium (75 grams) red onion, minced
• 250 grams lean ground pork
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp salted tiny shrimps (hibe), finely minced
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsps ground smoked fish (giniling na tinapa)
• 50 grams pounded pork cracklings (giniling na chicharon)

toppings:

• nicely toasted garlic
• pork cracklings
• chopped spring onions
• sliced hard boiled eggs
• a few pieces of boiled & headless shrimps
• Philippine lemon (kalamansi)

Procedure:

Cook rice as per package directions.

Combine in a bowl the oriental gravy mix and water. Mix. Set aside.

Place the anatto seeds in a bowl. Carefully pour the hot water. Stir. Stand aside for a few minutes until it render a intense orangy-red color (remove the anatto seeds).

In a large wok, place over medium-high fire, heat moderately. Put oil and garlic. Saute until rich golden brown. Follow with onion. Saute until soft. Add the ground pork, black pepper, salted tiny shrimps, fish sauce and ground smoked fish. Stir-fry until it aromatic. Put the anatto mixture. Cook for a few seconds.

Pour the palabok mixture. Cook until it boils. Put the cooked rice sticks. Put off the fire. Mix until blended. Sprinkle the pounded pork racklings. Stir some more. Place in a large serving platter or the traditional "bilao", lined with wilted banana leaves.

Top with toasted garlic, pork cracklings, spring onions, hard boiled eggs and shrimps. Just before eating, squeeze kalamansi on top for that extra flavor and aroma.