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Lucban Hardinera (Quezon’s Special Festive Meatloaf)

Lucban Hardinera (Quezon's Special Festive Meatloaf)

Hardinera is a labor-of-love Filipino meatloaf from Lucban, Quezon that transforms braised pork into an elegant celebration dish. Unlike its cousin embutido, which uses raw ground meat, hardinera features diced pork that's first braised Menudo-style then combined with luncheon meat, pineapple, cheese, eggs, and colorful vegetables. The mixture is carefully layered in banana-leaf lined llaneras (oval molds) with decorative garnishes, then steamed until set, creating a striking presentation worthy of fiestas and holiday tables.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Filipino
Servings 12
Calories 262 kcal
Difficulty Intermediate

Equipment

  • 3 llaneras (Filipino oval molds) for shaping and steaming the meatloaf
  • Large steamer or stockpot with steamer rack for cooking the hardinera
  • Heavy-bottom pot for braising the pork
  • Wide skillet for cooking the meat mixture
  • Sharp knife for uniform cutting of ingredients
  • Cutting board for prep work
  • Mixing bowls for combining ingredients
  • Measuring cups and spoons for accurate measurements
  • Meat thermometer to ensure proper cooking temperature
  • Aluminum foil for covering while steaming

Ingredients
 

For the Meat Base:

  • 2 pounds pork butt kasim [baboy na kasim], cut into small cubes
  • 1 large onion [sibuyas] sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic [bawang] crushed
  • 2 cups tomato ketchup [ketsap]
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste [pino na kamatis]
  • Salt [asin] to taste
  • Water [tubig]

For the Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large red bell pepper [pamintang pula] chopped
  • 1 cup luncheon meat diced
  • 1 cup pineapple tidbits [pinya]
  • 1 cup cheese [keso] shredded
  • ¼ cup sweet pickle relish
  • 2 tablespoons raisins [pasas]
  • 1 teaspoon sugar [asukal]
  • 4 eggs [itlog] well beaten
  • Butter [mantikilya] for greasing

For Garnish:

  • 4 pineapple slices halved
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs sliced
  • Carrot florets [karot]
  • Red bell pepper strips
  • Banana leaves [dahon ng saging] for lining

Instructions
 

  • Heat your steamer with enough water and get it ready while you prepare everything else.
  • Get three llaneras and grease them well with butter. Line each one with banana leaves and set them aside.
  • Start with the pork. Rinse it well and cut it into four large pieces. In a large pot, put the pork, 1 sliced onion, 6 crushed garlic cloves, 1 cup tomato ketchup, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough water to cover everything. Turn the heat to high and let it start boiling.
  • When it boils, you'll see gray foam on top. Scoop this out with a spoon and throw it away. Lower the heat, put the lid on, and let it cook slowly for about 1 to 1½ hours until the meat is tender enough to pierce easily with a fork.
  • Take the pork out and let it cool until you can handle it. Cut it into small, even-sized cubes.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan. Add 1 chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves. Cook until they become soft and smell good.
  • Add the remaining 1 cup of ketchup and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Stir and cook for a minute.
  • Now add your cubed pork, the diced luncheon meat, chopped bell peppers, sweet pickle relish, shredded cheese, pineapple tidbits, raisins, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Add a little salt to taste. Pour in about ½ cup of water and cook until most of the liquid is gone.
  • Put this mixture in a bowl and let it cool completely. This is important because hot mixture will cook the eggs we'll add later.
  • While waiting, decorate your prepared llaneras. Arrange slices of hard-boiled eggs, pineapple slices, bell pepper strips, and carrot florets on the banana leaves to make it pretty.
  • Break 4 eggs into a bowl and beat them really well. Take half of these beaten eggs and divide them among the three llaneras, pouring over your arranged decorations.
  • Once your meat mixture is completely cool, divide it between the three llaneras. Press it down firmly with a spoon to remove air bubbles. Make the top smooth and even.
  • Pour the remaining beaten eggs over the meat mixture in each llanera, making sure to cover everything.
  • Cover each llanera tightly with aluminum foil. Put them in your steamer and cook for 30-40 minutes until firm.
  • After steaming, let them rest for 8-10 minutes. You can serve them right away while hot, or better yet, put them in the refrigerator for an hour until cold.
  • To serve, run a knife around the edges of the llanera. Put your serving plate on top and quickly flip it over. Carefully peel off the banana leaf. Cut into slices and serve with rice.
  • You can keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you want to save it longer, you can freeze it for up to 2 months. When you want to eat it again, just steam for 10-15 minutes to heat it up.

Tips from Lola's Kitchen

  • Use pork with some fat marbling for better flavor and moisture
  • Cut ingredients uniformly for even cooking
  • Cool the meat mixture completely before adding eggs to prevent curdling
  • Press the mixture firmly into molds to prevent air pockets
  • Let rest 10 minutes before unmolding for cleaner slices
 

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 13gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 667mgPotassium: 374mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 115IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
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