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Filipino pork barbecue
Inihaw na baboy: sweet soy-calamansi pork skewers basted until sticky
Smoke from charcoal grills drifts down every barangay street at dusk, where sticks of Filipino pork barbecue are fanned over coals and brushed again and again with their sweet marinade until the edges caramelise. Thin slices of pork shoulder soak in soy sauce, calamansi, garlic, brown sugar and banana ketchup, and the result is sticky, sweet-salty and a little charred. Eat them with garlic rice and spiced vinegar, or straight off the stick. Chef's tip: slice the pork thin and thread it in loose ribbons; thick chunks char outside before they reach a safe 71 °C inside.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb pork shouldersliced 5 mm thick, about 3 × 6 cm pieces, with some fat left on
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 4 tbsp calamansi juiceor 3 tbsp lime + 1 tbsp orange juice
- ½ cup banana ketchupor tomato ketchup
- 2 ⅛ oz brown sugar
- 1 head garliccrushed
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 12 bamboo skewerssoaked in water for 30 minutes
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk ¼ cup soy sauce, 4 tbsp calamansi juice, ½ cup banana ketchup, 2 ⅛ oz brown sugar, 1 head garlic and 1 tsp black pepper in a bowl until the sugar dissolves.
3 minStep 2: Add 1 ¾ lb pork shoulder, massage the marinade in well, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for deeper flavour.
30 minStep 3: Thread 4–5 pieces onto each of 12 bamboo skewers, folding the slices so they sit flat. Pour the leftover marinade into a small pan.
7 minStep 4: Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil to the marinade and boil it hard for 3 minutes so it is safe to use as a baste and turns syrupy.
3 minStep 5: Grill over medium-hot coals or under a hot grill, about 4 minutes a side, brushing with the baste every time you turn, until sticky, charred at the edges and 160°F in the thickest piece.
16 minStep 6: Rest for 2 minutes and serve hot with rice and vinegar for dipping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does filipino pork barbecue take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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