Amy's Inihaw Liempo
Filipino grilled pork belly with smoky, caramelised edges and a bright soy-calamansi dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.
- 1 kg pork belly, skin on or off, cut into 1.5–2 cm thick slices
- ⅓ cup Filipino soy sauce
- ¼ cup calamansi juice, plus calamansi halves for serving
- 3 tbsp banana ketchup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 8 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp fine salt
- For the sawsawan: ¼ cup cane vinegar
- For the sawsawan: 2 tbsp soy sauce
- For the sawsawan: ½ small red onion, finely diced
- For the sawsawan: 1 garlic clove, minced
- For the sawsawan: 1 small red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)
- For the sawsawan: ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Pat the pork belly dry and cut it into even slices so they cook at the same rate. In a non-reactive bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, calamansi juice, banana ketchup, brown sugar, minced garlic, oil and black pepper until the sugar mostly dissolves.
- 2
Add the pork and turn every piece until thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Turn the pieces once midway if they are not fully submerged. Do not add the salt yet because the soy sauce seasons the meat during marinating.
- 3
Prepare the sawsawan while the pork marinates. Mix the cane vinegar, soy sauce, red onion, garlic, optional chilli and black pepper in a small bowl. Taste before adding any salt; the soy sauce will usually provide enough. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
- 4
Remove the pork from the refrigerator 25 minutes before cooking. Lift each piece from the marinade, let the excess drip off and transfer the remaining marinade to a small saucepan. Bring that marinade to a full boil for at least 2 minutes, then simmer for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened; use it only as a cooking glaze.
- 5
Heat a clean barbecue or grill pan to medium, about 190–205°C. Oil the grates lightly. Arrange the pork in one layer and grill for 6–8 minutes on the first side. Turn when it releases easily and has deep grill marks; move pieces away from flare-ups caused by dripping fat.
- 6
Grill the second side for 5–7 minutes. Brush both sides lightly with the boiled glaze only during the final 3–4 minutes, turning often so the sugar caramelises without burning. Cook until the leanest part reaches at least 71°C, then taste a small cooked edge and sprinkle with up to ½ teaspoon salt only if needed.
- 7
For an oven option, arrange the pork on a rack over a foil-lined tray and bake at 220°C for 25–35 minutes, turning halfway. Brush with the boiled glaze near the end, then grill or broil for 2–3 minutes per side until the edges caramelise, watching continuously.
- 8
Rest the liempo for 5 minutes before cutting it into serving pieces. Serve hot with steamed rice, sliced tomato or atchara, calamansi halves and the prepared sawsawan. Discard any unused glaze that has touched cooked pork or a used brush.
About Amy's Inihaw Liempo
Inihaw na liempo is a Filipino barbecue favourite built around pork belly, a salty-sour marinade and the smoky flavour of live fire. Families and street-side grillers make it in different ways, but the pleasure is the same: juicy pork, crisp caramelised edges and a sharp dipping sauce that balances the richness.
New Zealand ingredient swaps
- Calamansi: use an equal amount of fresh lime juice, or a half-lemon, half-lime mixture.
- Banana ketchup: use Filipino banana ketchup from an Asian grocer; ordinary tomato ketchup works but tastes less distinctively Filipino.
- Cane vinegar: use coconut vinegar or unsweetened apple-cider vinegar in the sawsawan.
How to know it is ready
- The pork should be evenly sliced and well coated after marinating.
- Cook over medium rather than fierce heat so the inside cooks before the sugary glaze darkens.
- The edges should be browned and lightly charred, the meat juicy, and the leanest section at least 71°C before resting.
Common mistakes and fixes
- Burnt glaze: brush it on only near the end and move the pork away from flare-ups.
- Tough meat: cut across the grain after resting and avoid cooking over excessively high heat.
- Too salty: do not add extra salt before marinating; taste only after cooking and balance each bite with vinegar sawsawan.
Family and regional variations
- Add finely grated ginger or a little chilli to the marinade.
- For a sweeter family-style version, increase banana ketchup by one tablespoon.
- Cook over charcoal for the deepest smoky flavour, or use the included oven-and-grill method indoors.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 days. Reheat in a covered pan or 180°C oven until steaming hot; uncover briefly at the end to refresh the caramelised edges.
What to serve with it
Serve with steamed rice, atchara, tomatoes and soy-vinegar sawsawan. Chopped liempo also makes an excellent filling for a rice bowl with cucumber and spring onion.
Amy's Inihaw Liempo FAQs
How long should I marinate liempo?
Four hours gives good flavour, while overnight is best. Avoid extending it much beyond 24 hours because the acid can affect the texture.
Can I cook it without a barbecue?
Yes. Bake it on a rack at 220°C, turn halfway, then finish under the grill or broiler for caramelised edges.
Can I baste with the raw marinade?
Only after boiling it fully in a saucepan. Keep the boiled glaze separate and never reuse a brush that has touched raw pork.
Our recipe standard: This page has been editorially reviewed for clarity, cultural context and practical home-kitchen guidance. We do not label a recipe as personally kitchen-tested unless that testing has actually been completed. Always follow current food-safety advice and the instructions for your equipment.
