Sprite-Marinated Inihaw na Liempo: Filipino BBQ Pork Belly

Sprite-Marinated Inihaw na Liempo: Filipino BBQ Pork Belly Recipe

Sprite-marinated inihaw na liempo is savory, citrusy, and glossy with banana ketchup, then grilled over two heat zones for rendered edges without a scorched glaze.

Yield: 6 servings Serving size: About 3 1/2 ounces cooked pork belly plus 1 tablespoon sawsawan; rice and vegetables are not included.

Yield note: Two pounds of raw pork belly should yield about 20 to 22 ounces after grilling and rendering, enough for six rich ulam portions of roughly 3 to 4 ounces each. Belly thickness and fat-to-meat ratio cause meaningful variation, so portion the finished meat by weight when nutrition precision matters.

Shopping List

• 2 pounds boneless skinless pork belly, sliced 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick
• reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 100 percent calamansi juice, or fresh lemons and limes
• banana ketchup
• lemon-lime soda
• garlic
• oyster sauce
• dark brown sugar
• black pepper
• cane vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
• red onion
• 1 Thai chile or serrano chile, optional
• high-heat neutral oil
• white rice, cucumber, tomatoes, and citrus wedges, optional

Ingredients

Pork and Refrigerator Marinade

• 2 pounds boneless skinless pork belly, sliced lengthwise 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick
• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup 100 percent calamansi juice, or 2 tablespoons lemon juice plus 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 cup banana ketchup
• 1/4 cup lemon-lime soda, such as Sprite or 7UP
• 6 large garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Fresh Cooked Basting Glaze (No Raw-Pork Contact)

• 1/4 cup banana ketchup
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon 100 percent calamansi juice, or 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 large garlic clove, finely grated

Spiced Vinegar Sawsawan

• 1/3 cup cane vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons 100 percent calamansi juice, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 Thai chile or serrano chile, thinly sliced, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Grill and Serving

• 2 teaspoons high-heat neutral oil, such as avocado or canola oil, for the grates
• 6 cups hot cooked white rice, optional
• 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced, optional
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges, optional
• 6 calamansi or lemon wedges, optional

Instructions

1. Inspect the pork belly and trim only thin flaps or heavy knobs of exterior fat that are likely to drip and burn. Do not rinse the raw pork. If the pieces are wider than about 2 inches, cut them lengthwise into manageable strips while leaving their full length intact.
2. Whisk the reduced-sodium soy sauce, calamansi juice, banana ketchup, lemon-lime soda, garlic, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and black pepper in a nonreactive glass or food-grade plastic container until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the pork and turn every strip until coated. Cover and marinate in a refrigerator at 40 degrees F or below for at least 4 hours and no longer than 12 hours for the best salt and citrus balance. Turn the container once halfway through if the liquid does not cover the pork.
4. Make the sawsawan at least 15 minutes before serving. Stir together the vinegar, calamansi juice, soy sauce, red onion, optional chile, and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed; stir again before pouring it into individual dipping bowls.
5. Make the glaze from its own fresh ingredients: combine banana ketchup, soy sauce, water, calamansi juice, brown sugar, oyster sauce, and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a full simmer over medium heat, then cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the glaze lightly coats a spoon.
6. Pour about 1/3 cup cooked glaze into a small bowl for brushing at the grill. Pour the remainder into a separate clean bowl for finishing the cooked pork. Cover both bowls. The finishing portion and its utensil must stay away from raw pork, the raw-meat tray, and the grill brush.
7. Set up a two-zone grill. For gas, heat one side to medium and leave the other side on low or off. For charcoal, bank the lit coals on one half. Preheat to about 375 to 425 degrees F at grate level, scrub the grates clean, then oil them lightly with the neutral oil held in a folded paper towel with long tongs.
8. Take the pork directly from the refrigerator when the grill is ready. Lift each strip from the marinade, let it drain, and scrape off clumps of garlic that could burn. Blot only puddled marinade from the surface with paper towels. Discard all marinade that touched the raw pork and wash the container and raw-meat tongs before reusing them.
9. Lay the strips across the direct-heat side without crowding. Grill uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes, until the meat releases from the grate and the first side is browned. Turn with clean long-handled tongs and brown the second side for 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Continue grilling, turning every 2 to 3 minutes so the fat renders evenly. Move pieces to the cooler side whenever dripping fat causes sustained flames; close the lid briefly or reduce the burner instead of spraying water onto the fire. Rotate the strips because grill hot spots can brown the sugary marinade at different rates.
11. After 10 to 14 minutes total, check the thickest, meatiest strip. Insert an instant-read thermometer sideways into a meat band, avoiding the fat layers. When the pork is well browned and nearing 135 to 140 degrees F, move all strips to the cooler side for glazing.
12. Brush a thin layer of the grill-bowl glaze over both sides. Cook over indirect or low heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning and brushing once more, until the glaze looks shiny, bubbles at the edges, and develops dark mahogany patches without turning black. Discard any glaze left in the brush bowl.
13. Check several pieces with the thermometer. Every strip must reach at least 145 degrees F in its thickest meat band, followed by a minimum 3-minute rest. For a firmer, more rendered liempo texture, continue to about 155 to 160 degrees F while watching the glaze closely; temperature, not color, is the doneness test.
14. Transfer the pork with clean tongs to a clean platter that never held raw meat. Rest 5 minutes. During the rest, brush only with the reserved clean finishing glaze, using a clean spoon or brush.
15. Cut the strips crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces, or serve them whole. Spoon the sawsawan into individual bowls and serve the pork hot with optional rice, cucumber, tomatoes, and citrus wedges.