Humbang Pula

This is a spin-off from the original Batangas Humba  I have made and posted earlier and also my own version with hoisin sauce I have also posted here. This time pork cheeks were used for the dish. I was actually hoping to make the meat into Lechon de Hurno, but then after the meat was thawed, I found the pork head had already been quartered. The meat was actually sent to us by my Tatay from the Philippines since pork is still not available in local market here in Qatar, unlike in UAE where there is non-muslim section in their supermarkets.
The first thought that immediately came to my mind is humba, which I think is the best alternative to the lechon.The pork head is just too precious to experiment with. :)
This dish is actually a tribute to our neighbor in Batangas who used to have a "Turo-Turo" in their front yard. I still remember as a young girl when my Tatay was already  working abroad and my Mom was still working for the local government, there are times that we just preferred buying from her instead of cooking for lunch. Hers is the only Humba I know which was red in color. The Humba I had always known in my life is soy sauce based, but I will never forget the "Red Humba" from her. Now after maybe more than 2 decades later, I remember Ka Letty and her Humbang Pula and this dish is a tribute for her, I hope I give justice to her version of the dish.

Ingredients:
1kg Pork Head, chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 onions, finely chopped
3 bay leaves
2 tbs annato seeds (achuete)
1 tsp black pepper, coursely ground
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tahure (fermented tofu), crumbled
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbs vinegar
2 cups water
3 tbs cooking oil
salt to season pork


Method:
Chop pork into serving sizes, rinse, drain and set aside. Season with a little salt.
Heat oil in a pan then add annato seeds. Saute until the seeds render its color. Remove seeds once they start to change color into black.
Add garlic and onion. Saute until onions are soft and translucent.
Add the pork, saute to coat the meat evenly with oil. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes. Turning the meat over to cook all sides. 
When all meat pieces are no longer pink, add the soy sauce, tahure, bay leaves, 1 tbs sugar and pepper. Saute for 1-2 minutes to distribute flavors evenly. Add 1 cup water and simmer for 10 minutes. Stirring from time to time to prevent the meat and sauce from sticking unto the pan. 
Adjust consistency of sauce and add more water slowly until desired consistency is achieved.
Add vinegar, do not stir. Cook for about 2 minutes. 
Check and adjust taste by adding more salt and sugar a little at a time. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Turn off heat. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with hot rice. Enjoy!