With this recipe, you’ll get soft, juicy, and fork-tender Inihaw Na Liempo with a balanced savory and char-grilled taste!
I know many will agree that inihaw na liempo or grilled pork belly is a must-have when it comes to celebrations and gatherings done by the beach or by the pool. But regardless of the location, this dish is one of the favorites in many Filipino occasions.
For me, grilling pork belly or liempo is one of the best ways to cook this flavorful and juicy cut of meat. And you can definitely add this to your cooking menu at home!
We will be sharing to you a secret technique on how to come up with a tender meat, as well as many cooking tips that will help you along the way. I suggest you read through the whole article before jumping to the recipe.
What is Inihaw Na Liempo?
Inihaw Na Liempo or Grilled Pork Belly is a Filipino barbecue wherein pork belly is marinated in a special sauce before grilling. This sauce is mixed to create a balance of sweetness, savoriness, and acidity.
You’ll find several recipes having several other ingredients added to the marinade sauce. But I decided to share with you the most basic ingredients (soy sauce, garlic, sugar, calamansi, and black pepper) and I promise that it’ll taste just as good.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Pork Belly
When picking your pork belly, look for a good fat and meat ratio. When the meat is already pre-cut, make sure you get slices that won’t go beyond ½” in thickness.
Calamansi
Calamansi is a common acid used in Filipino cuisine. If you can’t get one, use a lemon instead. For this recipe, replace 10 pieces of calamansi with 1 piece lemon.
Aside from these, you will also use regular pantry ingredients like garlic, soy sauce, sugar, and black pepper . If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Grill- Pork barbecue is traditionally cooked over a charcoal grill and this is still the best way of cooking this. You may opt to use other types of grillers like a grilling pan or electric griller but it does affect the flavor. You can also use an air fryer to cook this type of dish.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Inihaw Na Liempo
Cooking inihaw na liempo is as simple as it gets, you just have to mix a sauce, marinate the meat, then cook on the grill. But as mentioned earlier, we will be sharing an additional step to help you achieve soft and tender meat.
To come up with the sauce, you simply mix the ingredients in a bowl. Soak the pork belly then marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. This will allow the meat to absorb the flavors and allow the acid to tenderize the meat.
Next, we will par-boil or sangkutsa. This is our secret additional step. You may opt not to do this since it will take additional cooking time, but I do recommend you try it to achieve the soft and tender meat we’re talking about.
To sangkutsa, we place the meat with the marinade in a cooking pot and boil it with water. This step will allow the meat to further tenderize and absorb the flavors better.
Boiling Meat
Lastly, we prepare the grill and cook the pork belly when ready.
The charcoal grill is not the only way to cook inihaw na liempo. You can also use an electric grill, oven-grill, or even pan-fry. But for me, the best results come from a charcoal grill.
Cooking Tips
- When it comes to marinating, I suggest you stick to the recommended hours. Marinating any longer will cause problems with the texture of the meat because of the acid present in the mixture.
- Since we are cooking thinly sliced meat, you can easily see if the meat you are cooking is already done. But if you want to be precise, you can use a thermometer and check the internal temperature. It should read around 63 C or 145 F.
How to Serve Inihaw Na Liempo
Inihaw na liempo is best served with rice, a side dish, and a sauce. Here are our suggestions:
Rice Options
- Steamed white rice
- Garlic fried rice
- Java rice
Side Dish Options
- Atchara
- Vinaigrette-based Salad (e.g. Ensaladang Talong, Ensaladang Pako)
- Green Mango Salad
- Salted Egg with Tomato
- Ginisang Ampalaya
Sauces Options
- Toyo-mansi with Siling Labuyo
- White Vinegar with Garlic and Onions
- Peanut Sauce
If you have more ideas, comment below!
How to Store Inihaw Na Liempo
In case you can’t grill your marinated meat right away, separate the meat and marinade in different containers. Place the meat in the freezer. Completely thaw the meat before cooking.
Other Grilled Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Tender Inihaw Na Liempo (Grilled Pork Belly) Recipe
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lbs) pork liempo (pork belly), cut ½” thick
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 pcs calamansi, juiced
- 2 tbsp brown sugar, (or white sugar)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add-in the soy sauce, garlic, calamansi juice, sugar, and black pepper then mix together.
- Add-in the pork belly and make sure each piece is soaked properly.
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap. You can also transfer to a container with a cover or a large resealable pouch.
- Place in the refrigerator and marinate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Sangkutsa (Par-boiling) Instructions
- This part is our secret to achieving soft and tender meat. You may skip this part in case you’re in a hurry, but I do recommend that you try.
- Place the pork belly, including the marinade, in a cooking pot. Fill the pot with water just until all the meat is covered.
- Cover the pot then apply low-medium heat. Allow to boil for 30 to 45 minutes then remove the cover.
- Continue boiling until the liquid evaporates.
Grilling Instructions
- Prepare the charcoal grill. You may also use electric grill or oven grill but we recommend charcoal grill.
- When the grill is ready, grill one side of the pork belly for 3 minutes then flip and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Repeat for the rest of the meat in case you’re cooking in batches.
- Remove from the grill, cut to serving pieces, and serve. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!
Notes
Nutrition
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