Guisadong Sitao

Guisadong sitao is a staple of Filipino home kitchens, the kind of humble, fast vegetable stew that shows up on the table multiple times a week. The name comes from two words: guisado (sautéed) and sitao (long beans, also called yardlong or Chinese long beans), which are the star of the show. Slender and crisp, they cook up tender without turning mushy, and they hold sauce better than standard green beans.

The base is classic Filipino guisa: garlic sautéed until golden, then onion and tomato added and cooked until they collapse into a rough sauce. Pork slices simmer in with a splash of soy sauce for 15 minutes to tenderize, then shrimp join with the long beans and shrimp juice (the liquid from soaking or steaming shrimp) for the final 10 to 15 minutes of cooking.

Serve over steamed jasmine rice with a side of fish sauce or patis for additional seasoning at the table. A true Filipino weeknight dinner.

Kitchen Tips

• Use fresh long beans if possible. If you can only find standard green beans, cut them into 2-inch lengths to approximate the shape.
• Brown the pork slightly before adding soy sauce. Browning adds flavor that straight simmering cannot match.
• Keep the shrimp tails on for added flavor, or peel fully if you prefer. Either works.
• Do not overcook the shrimp. They should go in at the 10-minute mark and cook just until pink and curled.
• Reserve the water you soak or steam the shrimp in for the shrimp juice. Plain water will not add the same umami.

Variations

• Swap long beans for green beans, snow peas, or Chinese broccoli.
• Add a tablespoon of oyster sauce for deeper umami.
• Use boneless chicken thigh in place of pork for a different protein.