Amber Menu’s Savory Pork BBQ Recipe for a Flavorful Feast
Pork BBQ has a special place in the eyes of food lovers from all over the world. Anyone, who is not a vegetarian or a Muslim can not deny that these slow-cooked Pork slices are a real treat for the stomach. In the Philippines, this dish holds a special place not only as a dish but is embedded in the culture.
Filipino Pork Barbecue is differentiated from those of other parts of the world because of its unique, sweet, savory, and a bit spicy flavor. These are meat kebabs that are made of pork slices. BBQ in general is a very common element of Filipino cuisine but these bamboo skewers filled with pork meat are a must-have dish at parties and gatherings. It is also a very commonly sold dish and you can find a cart or stall with the grills selling these on almost every street corner. They are also served with rice and atchara.
Ambers, being a traditional Pinoy food chain, realizes this and is serving the dish on its menu. You can enjoy the grilled meat with their special sauce and steamed white rice. They also have combination packages for these.
The type of pork we use for this dish is as important as the marination. Try to fetch fine pieces of meat with an adequate amount of fat ribbons. The butt and shoulder parts are ideal for such kinds of meat.
Cut the pork into very thin slices to make sure that it cooks evenly and is easy to chew. You can also ask the butcher to cut the meat for you in slices. Mention that you need the meat for pang-BBQ.
What is banana ketchup?
Banana ketchup could be mysterious for most people because it’s not as famous in many parts of the world, as tomato ketchup. It is actually a sauce made of a few ingredients like bananas, sugar, and garlic. Red food coloring is also added to give it a color like tomato sauce but there are no tomatoes in it.
This unique ketchup was influenced by American ketchup during colonization and is common in Filipino and Filipino American kitchens. This ketchup is usually served with rice and eggs or as marination for BBQs like this dish. It is sweet in taste and you can feel the flavor of a banana while eating this.
Learn how to make banana ketchup at home, if you can’t find it near you.
Pork BBQ Recipe
Soda and Calamansi juice are the main ingredients that play a vital role in making the meat tender. Both of these ingredients are added to the marinade. These pork barbecue sticks have a sweet and smoky flavor and we can also make it spicy according to our liking. You can have it with steamed rice for extra filling.
Amber also serves this cultural dish on their menu but they cook it with extra care and prolonged marination. You can find their secret recipe below.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients to make the traditional Filipino pork barbecue. They use local ingredients for marinade and pork chunks.
Pork
2 kg pork, preferably kasim, thinly sliced
¼ cup cornstarch
2 egg whites
2 tbsp oil
Marinade
¾ cup soy sauce
¾ cup white vinegar
¾ cup banana ketchup
½ cup 7UP
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tsp black pepper
3 tsp garlic powder
Instructions for cooking
Marinate: Get a large bowl and add slices of pork, cornstarch, egg whites, and oil, and mix the mixture thoroughly so that the meat gets the flavor from the ingredients. Leave for an hour.
After an hour, add soy sauce, white vinegar, banana ketchup, 7UP, brown sugar, black pepper, and garlic powder to the mixture and mix well. Coat the pork with the marinade, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and leave (in the fridge) to marinate overnight.
Pork: Take bamboo skewers and soak them in water for about 15 minutes so that they are not burned when placed on a hot grill for cooking pork.
Get the marinated pork and skewer each slice in the center in a single row. We should have 18-20 skewers, considering the amount of pork in the ingredients section.
Save the remaining marinade for basting.
Grill barbecue: Add pork skewers in batches to the grill after it’s heated to medium-high temperature. The number of skewers per batch obviously depends on the size of the grill you are using.
Baste the barbecue with the reserved marinade and cook each side until slightly charred. Brush with extra marinade as needed.
Each side should take 5 minutes to cook. When cooked through, remove from the grill and serve hot.
These are the approximate nutritional facts of 100 grams of the dish. This website provides approximate nutritional information for users’ convenience. The data is gained from the USDA Food Composition Database, if available, or from other online tools for nutrition calculation.
Calories: 175kcal
Carbohydrates: 19g
Protein: 12g
Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 33mg
Sodium: 912mg
Potassium: 270mg
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 17g
Vitamin A: 50IU
Vitamin C: 1.7mg
Calcium: 32mg
Iron: 1.1mg
How to serve and store
This Filipino-style barbecue can be served as an appetizer or snack with vinegar dipping sauce and hard drinks.
We can also enjoy it as a main course, usually served with Pancit or rice and a side of Atchara.
The seasoned meat can be stored for future use. Use a sealable bag or air-tight container and freeze the meat for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Tips
It’s best to boil the remaining marinade for about 10-15 minutes to kill any bacteria in the sauce from the raw meat.
To prevent the slices from burning or excessive charring, cook the pork for a few minutes without brushing the sauce. Once the meat changes its color, apply the sauce and cook again.
For a depthful marination, leave the mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight. If you have enough time, you may leave it to marinate for up to 3 days for best results. This will help in breaking down the protein fibers of the meat.
FAQs
The ideal cut of pork for Filipino Pork Barbecue is kasim, also known as pork shoulder. This cut has a good balance of fat and meat, which ensures the barbecue stays tender and juicy after grilling. You can also use a pork butt, which has a similar fat content.
Banana ketchup is a sweet and tangy condiment commonly used in Filipino cuisine. It’s made with bananas, sugar, vinegar, and spices. While not as readily available as tomato ketchup, you can often find it in Asian grocery stores.
If you can’t find banana ketchup, a possible substitute is a combination of ½ cup tomato ketchup and ¼ cup brown sugar. However, this won’t capture the unique flavor profile of banana ketchup.
The longer you marinate the pork, the more flavorful and tender it will be. A minimum of 4 hours is recommended, but overnight marinating (like this recipe suggests) yields the best results.
Soaking the bamboo skewers in water for 15 minutes helps prevent them from burning on the grill. However, if you’re short on time, you can skip this step. Just keep a close eye on the skewers while grilling and remove them from the heat if they start to char excessively.
Filipino Pork Barbecue is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed in several ways. Here are some popular options:
Appetizer: Serve the skewers with a dipping sauce like vinegar with chopped onions, chilies, and garlic.
Main Course: Pair the barbecue with steamed rice and a side of Atchara (pickled vegetables). You can also add a Filipino noodle dish like Pancit to complete the meal.
Party Food: Filipino Pork Barbecue is a popular party food. Serve it with other Filipino appetizers like Lumpia (spring rolls) or Kare-Kare (peanut stew).
Conclusion
Filipino Pork Barbecue is more than just a grilled meat dish; it’s a cultural experience. The sweet, savory, and smoky flavors combined with the tender pork create a delicious and satisfying barbecue. This recipe, inspired by Amber Menu’s take on the classic dish, offers a taste of Filipino tradition you can create at home.
Whether you serve it as an appetizer with vinegar dipping sauce or as a main course with rice and Atchara, Filipino Pork Barbecue is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. So fire up your grill, gather your loved ones, and enjoy the flavors of the Philippines!
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