Grilled pork belly or what we call inihaw na liempo in the Philippines is a staple dish during picnics or just a simple Sunday meal to enjoy with the family. We love grilled pork belly! We love how succulent it taste and how juicy it can be when perfectly grilled. We love how it harmoniously compliment the spicy vinegar dipping and how it can be perfectly paired with hot steamed rice.
Last Sunday, I woke up thinking of melting some chocolate blocks and pour it over in the chocolate molder for my Christmas giveaways and probably as Christmas sideline income. Anyway, I already prepared my tools and ingredients when my mom arrived from the market with a kilo of pork belly.
She told me to marinate the pork for our lunch, so I did. Since I want a simple dish this Sunday that is easy to prepare and easy to cook because we should eat lunch at 12 noon or our dad will keep asking us if the meal is ready, I decided to cook a Filipino-style grilled pork belly or inihaw na liempo. For better flavor, I simmer my tomato sauce, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, black pepper, brown sugar, garlic, onions and light brandy for 10 minutes. I slightly cooled the sauce and pour it over the meat and marinate the meat for an hour. I suggest to marinate the meat for at least 4 hours or overnight for better flavor absorption.
I guess my mom is getting health conscious now a days and bought some lettuce, cucumber and carrots as our side salad to go with the pork. She also bought a pouch of mayo for the salad dressing. For the salad dressing, I just added a tablespoon at a time of tomato ketchup in to the mayo according to my liking and some teaspoons of dried mustard powder.
So what happened with my first idea, the chocolate candy? Well, it ended in the fridge and decided to make it some other time and again in a blink of an eye, I decided to make some mini red velvet that afternoon. But, that’s another story and I will post my baking experience next time.
Ingredients
250 grams Tomato Sauce
6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
4 cloves Garlic, grated
1 piece Onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup Brandy, I used Emperador Light
1 teaspoon Hot Sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 kilo Pork Belly, liempo
Procedure
In a sauce pan, combine everything except the pork belly. Boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until the aftertaste of brandy is gone.
Cool to room temperature and pour over the pork belly. marinate for 4 hours or overnight for full flavor and grill.
Do not over grill your meat or it will turned out dry. Baste the meat with oil from time to time. When almost done, baste the meat with the barbecue sauce and grill for another 5 minutes on each side to caramelized the sauce. Slice and dip the meat in chili vinegar with chopped garlic and onions for full Pinoy enjoyment.
