Welcome back to Delicious Horror! I’m creating this post right after reading Rowan’s story in Silk & Sinew, and oooh if you love body horror (which is my favorite horror sub-genre), you are going to love, love, love this story as much as I did. Also, this is their debut story?! Okay publishers and editors, I’m going to need you to invite Rowan to more anthologies ASAP.

Rowan Cardosa is a Filipino-American writer who currently lives in north Texas. “In Twain”, appearing in Silk & Sinew, is their debut story, but they also write articles on video games and pop culture. They’ve also created their own TTRPG, Wolfspider Academy, which is currently available on itch.io.

Rowan’s interests outside of literature include video games, gardening, and tabletop role-playing games. While they’re interested in a lot of genres, fantasy and horror are their main obsessions, as well as anything related to history and mythology. They currently live with their elderly dog and more Pokemon plushies than anyone has the right to own.

Title of story in Silk and Sinew:

“In Twain”

Tell us briefly about your story and/or the inspiration behind it:

The manananggal was one of the first mythical creatures I learned about from my mother. Body horror has always been a fixation of mine ever since I was a kid, so I wanted to work in a transformation story with a manananggal as the central focus. “In Twain” combines that with my own lived experience as a biracial person whose connection to their cultural heritage is a source of insecurity and identity issues. The main character is different from me in a lot of respects, but we both have that going for us.

What did you decide to make to pair with the story, and what from the story inspired your delicious food or drink?

The main character is biracial and has some identity issues regarding her family having assimilated into mainstream/white American culture. That wasn’t at the forefront of my mind when I made a more Americanized version of a Filipino dish, but I guess my subconscious won out. I also wanted to use pork since it’s supposedly the most similar to human flesh.

Can you share the recipe or a link to the recipe?

Pineapple Braised Pork

I wanted to make a dish with pork since, according to cannibals, it’s the closest meat to human flesh. My first thought was to make a recipe for a more traditional humba, but I ran into complications (and no small amount of frustration) when the local 99 Ranch didn’t have black bean paste. This is a more Americanized take that is very loosely based off the original, and uses ingredients you can find at just about any grocery store.

• Prep time: About 10-15 minutes
• Marinade: 6-8 hours
• Cook: 60-90 minutes
• Makes 4-6 servings

You’ll need:

• 1 pound pork, diced (You should use the belly or another fatty cut)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and cut into slivers
• At least 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 large onions, cut into chunks
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 20-oz. can of pineapple tidbits, with the juice drained and set aside
• About 5-7 bay leaves
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup vinegar
• 1 cup apple or pineapple juice
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• MSG to taste
• Black pepper to taste (use whole peppercorns if possible)

For the marinade:

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 ½ cup apple juice, apple cider, Dr. Pepper, or cola
• ¼ cup soy sauce

Instructions:

1. Marinate your meat. In a non-reactive container, combine 1 cup pineapple juice, 1 ½ cups of your other juice or soda, and ¼ cup soy sauce. Add the diced pork, cover the container, and let it sit in your fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight.
2. Create your braising liquid. In a small to medium-sized bowl, combine the remaining soy sauce, fruit juice, fish sauce (or Worcestershire sauce), and vinegar. Set this liquid aside for later.
3. Sweat your aromatics. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, and ginger. Cook until onions are soft and translucent.
4. Brown the meat. Drain the marinade off your diced pork and add the meat to the pot. Sear the pork on medium-high heat until golden brown.
5. Add your braising liquid. Pour the combined liquid ingredients into your pot and deglaze. Add brown sugar and MSG, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
6. Cook over high heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add bell peppers and pineapple pieces.
8. Partially cover the pot and let simmer over a low heat for an additional 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Turn off your heat. Serve braised pork over a bed of steamed rice.