Inihaw na Liempo Recipe

A classic sweet and savory Filipino barbecue conveniently prepared in the oven.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Filipino

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Marinate 4

Total Time 4 50

Servings servings

Calories 863kcal

Cost $10-$12

Make the pork belly marinade by combining soy sauce, calamansi or lemon juice, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic, and ground pepper (to taste) in a bowl.
Marinate the pork belly slices in the fridge for 4 to 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425° F (218° C). Line a baking sheet with double layers of aluminum foil to make cleanup easier.
Arrange pork belly slices in a single layer and bake them for 20 minutes.
Bring any marinade that touched raw pork to a boil before using it as a basting sauce. Then reduce the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Remove the meat from the oven and brush it with basting sauce on both sides. Return it to the oven for another 20 minutes. Adjust baking time based on the thickness of the meat. The thinner the slices, the faster they cook.
To caramelize the outside, broil on low for about 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.
Cut into bite-size pieces and serve them with a dipping sauce by combining vinegar, shallot, chilies, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.

Pork belly slices: You want a good fat-to-meat ratio, with or without the skin. If you can, buy them boneless and ideally no thicker than ½ inch.
Lemon juice: Use calamansi, if available, for a more authentic flavor; this citrus fruit is quite sour, like a cross between a lime and sour orange. Lemon is the closest substitute.
Banana ketchup: This condiment or cooking ingredient is primarily made of bananas. It is sweeter and less tangy than tomato ketchup, which you can use instead. Besides imparting a reddish color, the acidity helps tenderize the meat.