It’s finally feeling more like spring here, which means we busted out the grill! This time around I had my parents teach me how to make Filipino pork BBQ–my weakness.
If there’s one food that makes me salivate on command it is Filipino pork BBQ. I have fond memories growing up and my parents spending hours making hundreds of these skewers to grill the next day at a local park for me and my brother’s birthdays year after year. My brother and I would park ourselves in front of the TV while my parents sat at the dining room table putting the marinating pork on bamboo skewers. And of course I would eat at least 10 of them each sitting. While my parents’ recipe is pretty good, it is no match to this Filipino restaurant we used to go to when I was a kid.
Growing up, we rarely ate out especially to a Filipino restaurant because my parents could just cook. Plus there were maybe one or two Filipino restaurants in the DC area at the time. However, it was such a special day when we were treated to a meal out to Little Quiapo–my go to dish was their Filipino pork BBQ. The owners have since closed their restaurant because they have retired, but boy do I dream about their BBQ. I have yet to find another establishment that makes it like they do, both here in DC and in California. And apparently my parents run into the former owners enjoying their retirement at the MGM here and there. I straight up told my mom that if she sees her again to ask the lady for her recipe because seriously, I crave it!
Filipino pork BBQ is a combination of sour and sweet. Not like sweet and sour you’ll find on your typical Chinese menu, but a more subtle sourness that compliments the sweetness you get from the Sprite and banana ketchup. You can find banana ketchup in any Asian store, but I probably would not substitute with tomato ketchup as tomato ketchup is not sweet enough. They now sell spicy banana ketchup, which might work to add a bit of kick to the BBQ. I haven’t tried that so don’t take my word for it. Also, don’t skimp out on the Sprite either. I know it sounds like a lot of sugary stuff in this marinade, but trust me that everything balances out.
With warmer weather on the horizon I hope you enjoy Filipino pork BBQ, my absolute favorite dish!!!
Filipino Pork BBQ
A sweet and sour BBQ recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. pork shoulder, fat cap trimmed and cut into 1 in. pieces
- 1 bulb garlic, minced
- 2 tbs. ground black pepper
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbs. oyster sauce
- 1 12 oz. can Sprite
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 12 oz. bottle banana ketchup
- 5 bay leaves
- Bamboo skewers
Directions
- Step 1 Mix in all ingredients in large bowl, except pork, into large bowl.
- Step 2 Add pork and thoroughly cover with sauce.
- Step 3 Let pork marinate for at least an hour, up to over night.
- Step 4 Submerge bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 5 Add pork to skewers and return back to marinade.
- Step 6 On hot grill, cook skewers. About 3-4 minutes on each side until pork is cooked through.
- Step 7 Serve immediately with sugar cane vinegar and garlic dip.
