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Meat, Africa and overseas

Maa tinito with rice

Maa tinito is a Tahitian pork stew simmered with red beans, Chinese cabbage and macaroni, served over rice. This recipe for 4 people takes 1 hour 15 minutes, rated easy, for about €2.60 per serving. The key is cooking the macaroni separately and stirring it in at the last minute so it doesn't soak up the sauce.

Tonight we're making the Tahitian classic, a maa tinito with pork, red beans and macaroni, served with rice of course.

Maa tinito with rice
Total time
1 h 15
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.60
Calories per person
630 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Maa tinito brings together tender pork, a soy sauce that flavors the whole dish, red beans that add softness and macaroni that soaks up just enough of the broth. Chinese cabbage keeps some crunch when you respect the cooking times between the white ribs and the green leaves. It's a hearty dish that blends Chinese and Tahitian influences in a single pot.

This is the kind of dish to make on a Sunday, when you have time to let the pork simmer without rushing. Kids generally love the macaroni and the sweet and savory soy sauce, so it goes over well at the table without complaints. Mon Chou suggests this recipe for a family meal that breaks from the everyday routine, with no hard to find ingredients.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Pork shoulder 600 g

Pantry

  • Canned red beansoften in the pantry 1 can
  • Macaronioften in the pantry 120 g
  • Riceoften in the pantry 250 g
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Chinese cabbage 0.5
  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Allergens Gluten, Soy

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the pork shoulder into cubes, brown it in oil in a Dutch oven with the chopped onion and garlic. 10 min

    Don't overcrowd the pot, the meat needs to sear, not steam.

  2. Pour in the soy sauce and 50 cl of water, cover and let simmer gently until the pork turns tender. 40 min

    Taste before adding salt, the soy sauce already brings plenty.

  3. Slice the Chinese cabbage, drain and rinse the red beans, then add everything to the pot. 10 min

    Keep the white ribs of the cabbage for the start and the green leaves for the end, they don't cook at the same speed.

  4. Cook the macaroni in boiling water, drain it and stir it into the stew just before serving. 8 min

    Stop cooking it a minute before the package time, it finishes cooking in the sauce.

  5. Cook the rice in salted water and serve the maa tinito over it. 11 min

    A splash of soy sauce over the rice makes a difference at the table.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a well marbled pork shoulder, it stays moist after 40 minutes of simmering, unlike a leaner cut that would dry out.
  • Mince the garlic and onion finely so they melt into the sauce instead of staying in noticeable chunks.
  • Cook the macaroni only when the stew is almost ready, it doesn't hold well and turns mushy fast once mixed in.

The variations

  • Swap the pork shoulder for sliced chicken, the simmering time then drops to about 25 minutes.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the pork with button mushrooms and smoked tofu, keeping the soy sauce and red beans.
  • For kids in a hurry, serve the stew straight over the macaroni without rice, it's quicker on the table.

What to serve it with

  • A light green tea
  • Pickled vegetable achards
  • A fresh cucumber salad

Storage

Maa tinito keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, with rice and stew stored separately. It freezes well for up to 2 months, except for the macaroni, which should be cooked fresh when serving. Reheat in a pan or saucepan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can canned red beans be replaced with dried beans?

Yes, but you need to soak them overnight and cook them for about 45 minutes before adding them. The canned version stays faster for a weeknight dinner.

Can maa tinito be made ahead?

Yes, the pork stew can be made the day before and gently reheated the next day, it only gets better. Add the macaroni only when serving so it stays firm.

What rice should you serve with maa tinito?

Plain white rice works well, long grain or round depending on your preference. Its main job is to soak up the soy sauce from the stew.

Can Chinese cabbage be replaced?

Yes, finely sliced white cabbage also works, with a slightly longer cooking time. Avoid firmer cabbages like curly kale, which need much longer cooking.

How long does it take to make a maa tinito with rice?

Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a maa tinito with rice?

About 630 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a maa tinito with rice cost?

About €2.60 per serving, or €10.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, soy. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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