The viral Chef RV Manabat, known for his millions of social media followers on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, and the brains behind the popular self-named Chef RV Cafe in Biñan, Laguna, has gladly shared one of his family’s heirloom Christmas recipes, for the readers to try in their own kitchens.

“My nanay Rose would prepare this embotido a week or two before Christmas. The flavor and texture improve overtime in the fridge or freezer. Come Noche Buena, these embotidos are uniformly sliced, reheated in the oven or pan fried in butter. They are then lusciously served with warm pan de sal, queso de bola and sometimes steamed rice and catsup.”

Not one to waste food, Chef RV has suggestions for the usual Noche Buena leftovers. 

“A few days after Christmas, we expect some leftover either sliced or crumbled embotido just resting in our fridge. My sister Dianne and I would turn it into a delicious spaghetti sauce! Since the embotido mixture already contains aromatics and seasoning, there’s no need to sauté — making this one of the easiest pasta recipes for any occasion!”

A De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde graduate and a master’s degree holder in Food Studies from the Boston University in Massachusetts, USA, he does not shy away from sharing his knowledge and techniques with his viewers and fans. He continues to film videos of recipes in his own kitchen then shared on his social media accounts so followers may recreate, with appropriate substitutions for hard-to-find ingredients.

Embotido 

Ingredients:

1 kilo ground pork 

2 teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon black pepper 

1 tablespoon white sugar 

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 

2 pieces whole eggs 

6 pieces hard boiled eggs, sliced 

1/3 cup pickle relish 

1/3 cup evaporated milk 

1/3 cup finely chopped carrots 

1/3 cup finely chopped onions 

200 grams grated cheese

150 grams chopped ham/ sausage 

1 cup raisins (optional) 

Procedure:

Combine all ingredients (except the hard boiled eggs). Mix well until mixture turns into a smooth paste. 

Scoop approximately 2 cups of the mixture onto pre-cut aluminum foil or parchment paper, size of a long bond paper. 

Push the sliced hard-boiled eggs towards the center of the meat mixture. Form into a cylinder. 

Seal the foil from top to bottom, and secure both ends. 

Arrange the sealed embotido on steamer baskets, and steam for 45- 60 minutes. Rest for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving. 

Embotido Spaghetti 

Ingredients:

Leftover embotido, crumbled 

1 liter Filipino-style spaghetti sauce 

Cooked pasta 

Cheese, for topping 

Procedure:

In a saucepan, combine the leftover embotido and spaghetti sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. 

Plate and serve hot.