Filipino pork torta with chili maple sauce

Add a splash of veg oil to a pan on high heat. Add the carrots, celery, red pepper, a couple of pinches of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Saute 2 minutes then add the onions and garlic. Saute 2 more minutes or until the veg stops giving off water and starts to brown. Remove the mixture to a bowl.

Add another splash of oil to the same pan and add the ground pork. Fry until the pork is fully cooked and nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Use a spatula to break the pork up while cooking into small pieces (pea-sized or smaller). Season the meat with salt and pepper.

Return the veg mixture to the pan with the pork. Add the raisins and toss everything together. Take off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

While waiting for the meat to cool, make the sauce. In a small pot on low heat, stir together the maple syrup, vinegar, chili and a pinch of salt. Bring up to just below a simmer then turn off the heat and allow to steep.

Once the meat mixture is cool, stir in the eggs. You want the mix to be just slightly runny with egg. If it seems too dry, add another egg. Stir in the cilantro.

Add a splash of veg oil to a non-stick pan and put it on medium heat. Using a small ladle as a measure, drop the meat mixture into the pan. Use your spatula to flatten and spread it into a disk about 1/2 cm thick. Let cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook another 2 minutes. Repeat for the remaining patties. As you cook, both the oil and your patties will get darker and darker. If you don't want this, replace the oil halfway during cooking.

Serve the patties with the sauce and a sprinkle of cilantro