Pork Belly Hamonado for Filipino Fiestas

Name: Pork Belly Hamonado for Filipino Fiestas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1/4 cup canola oil; 1-2 pcs (about 1 kg) pork belly slab (lechon kawali); 1 pc medium onion, chopped; 8 cloves garlic, chopped; 1/2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 pcs Knorr Pork Cubes; 1/2 cup granulated white sugar; pineapple juice or syrup (from the canned chunks); water; 1 cup pineapple chunks; salt and pepper, to taste

What food do you associate with fiestas? For many, it’s lechon, whether a whole pig, belly rolls, or kawali. Others prefer sizzling sisig, crispy pata, and inihaw na liempo. Typically, pork reigns supreme, stealing the spotlight from other meats, seafood, and carbs on the table. But these dishes also have a drawback – they take hours to prep and a couple more to cook. Not hamonado!

This pork hamonado recipe takes only 50 minutes (max!) to finish. Most of that time is for simmering the meat, so you can just leave it alone and move on to other dishes. Once done, expect soft pork slices enrobed in a glistening sweetish pineapple sauce – a party of flavors!

50 min.
10 People
Medium
Average

Ingredients

1/4 cup canola oil
1-2 pcs (about 1 kg) pork belly slab (lechon kawali)
1 pc medium onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 pcs Knorr Pork Cubes
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
pineapple juice or syrup (from the canned chunks)
water
1 cup pineapple chunks
salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Method

Heat oil in a pot. Sear pork on all sides until browned. Set aside.
In the same pot, sauté onions and garlic. Add pork, soy sauce, Knorr Pork Cubes, sugar, and pineapple juice or syrup. Pour in enough water to cover the meat. Cook until the pork is tender and the sauce has slightly thickened.
Add pineapple chunks. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.
Let pork cool slightly, then slice it into ½-inch-thick pieces. Arrange on a platter, then pour sauce over pork slices. Serve hot.

Using pork belly for your hamonado helps reduce its cooking duration. Liempo usually takes less time to tenderize versus other cuts, like kasim or pata. If you’re preparing a big batch for your feast, you can use a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot to further simplify the process. Or you can already soften the meat a week in advance, keep it in the freezer, and then just reheat it before serving. Love pineapples? Double the amount in the recipe and add more for garnish. Your guests will be singing praises!