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Inihaw na Liempo (Grilled Pork Belly)

By Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad
Photo of filipino pork belly grilled on a plate.
Photo by Justin Walker

Pork belly is ubiquitous throughout the Philippines; the fat is glorious and tastes great grilled. Getting a nice char on the fatty bits is important, as it adds another level of flavor to the salty-sour-tart-sweetness of the soy-calamansi marinade. This is a versatile dish: You can enjoy it as is with a side of sawsawan or the spiced vinegar called pinakurat. Or you can add it to stews and soups for extra flavor, or even to our version of ceviche. For this recipe, you’ll need to marinate the pork belly overnight, so plan ahead.

Ingredients

1 cup (240 ml) soy sauce
1 cup (240 ml) calamansi juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (910 g) skinless pork belly, sliced lengthwise into 1-inch-thick (2.5 cm) strips
 Sawsawan or pinakurat, for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large nonreactive bowl, storage container, or ziplock bag, mix together the soy sauce, calamansi juice, garlic, and pepper.

    Step 2

    Add the pork belly slices, toss so they are well coated in the marinade, cover the bowl or container or seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

    Step 3

    When you are ready to grill the pork, heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium or heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

    Step 4

    Discard the marinade and grill the pork slices, turning them once or twice, for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are cooked through and slightly charred around the edges. Transfer to a platter and serve with sawsawan or pinakurat.

Cover of I Am a Filipino cookbook featuring a banquet table covered with banana leaves and bowls of traditional dishes and ingredients.
Excerpted from I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2018. Buy the full book from Amazon.
TagsFilipinoSoutheast AsianAsianPork BellyPorkMeatMainSideDinnerDairy FreeNut FreeKetoGrillingCast Iron SkilletLunar New YearCookbooks
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