In the mood for street food? BBQ Pork Ears are stewed a la adobo and then grilled to golden perfection. Soft and chewy with a sweet and savory flavor, they're delicious as a snack or appetizer.
Inihaw na isol and isaw are my favorite street foods, but unfortunately, chicken bottoms and intestines are not sold here in the U.S., or at least not at the supermarkets I go to.
However, pork ears are another story, as they're readily available at Seafood City and come cheaply. Since I was in the mood for some serious street food and won't be making my favorite BBQ puwet ng manok anytime soon, I decided on the next best thing: BBQ pork ears or walkman, as more known in Pinoy colloquialism.
With a combination of meat, skin, and cartilage in one bite, pig's ears are truly a delightful medley of textures. However, this cartilaginous organ meat requires a bit more work before it hits the hot grill.
Simple steps
- Stew the meat a la adobo in vinegar and soy sauce until tender and flavorful.
- Allow to sufficiently cool before slicing into bite-sized pieces, and then skewer in bamboo sticks.
- Grill over hot coals, regularly basting with a mixture of oyster sauce, ketchup, and sesame oil. It's the same sauce I use on my BBQ pork on a stick, and it delivers tons of finger-licking, lip-smacking flavor!
Helpful tips
- Soak the bamboo sticks in cold water for at least 30 minutes to keep them from burning during grilling.
- For a combination of fatty and chewy textures, ask the butcher for "pork face," which will include the snout and ears.
- To easily remove stray hairs, scrape them off with a knife or carefully burn them with a kitchen torch.
Serving suggestions
- BBQ pork ears are delicious as a filling midday snack or appetizer. Slightly chewy and packed with sweet and savory tastes, these inihaw na tenga baboy are perfect for your ice-cold beer.
- Serve with spicy vinegar or Manong's special sauce for dipping.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork ears
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ยฝ cup soy sauce
- 1 head garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon pepper
- ยฝ cup oyster sauce
- ยฝ cup banana ketchup
- ยผ cup sesame oil
Equipment
- 15 bamboo skewers
Instructions
- With a knife, scrape off any stray hairs from pork ears. Rinse and drain well.
- In a pot over medium heat, combine pork ears, vinegar, water, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, without stirring, and skim off any foam that floats on top.
- Add garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Lower heat, cover, and cook for about 1 ยฝ to 2 hours or until meat is very tender. Drain from liquid and allow to completely cool in the refrigerator.
- Cut pork ears to about 1-inch sized pieces and thread into bamboo skewers.
- In a bowl, combine oyster sauce, banana ketchup, and sesame oil. Stir until well-blended.
- Grill skewered pork ears over hot coals, turning as needed and regularly basting with oyster sauce and banana ketchup mixture, until nicely charred.
- Serve hot with spiced vinegar for dipping.
Notes
- Soak the bamboo sticks in cold water for at least 30 minutes to keep them from burning during grilling.
- For a combination of fatty and chewy textures, ask the butcher for "pork face," which will include the snout and ears.
- To easily remove stray hairs, scrape them off with a knife or carefully burn them with a kitchen torch.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Nosetotailbbq says
I have a whole mess of pork ears to use and looking for something other than my tried and true - deep fried!
Going to give these a try (2 ways) - 1st will be to the tee, your recipe.
2nd will be marinating the ears in the soy vinegar mixture and smoking them instead of braising and will then wrap them in the smoker with some of that marinating liquid.
Will skewer both batches up and grill away - excited to see which i prefer. Thanks for the recipe/guidance! feel free to check out the cook in a couple weeks on Instagram @nosetotailbbq
Varun Sharma says
So easy to prepare and quick to cook. A great mid week dinner. Thanks โ another winning recipe!
gloria says
it look so good I looking at the weekend to try it.
kevin says
I love this! thanks for sharing
hanni says
What is Banana ketchup
Kendrick says
Great recipe,
It looks so delicious.
I am going to try to cook it tomorrow.
Thank You!
Lalaine says
Enjoy!
chinablue says
I love this street food! thanks for sharing..
Lalaine says
You're welcome. ๐
Agnes says
Hi Lalaine,
looks crunchy! can i not us bbq sticks and just broil in the oven?
I have no griller yet... thanks for sharing.
agnes
Lalaine says
Hi Agnes
Yes, you can broil these BBQ pork ears. That's what I do when I am too lazy to set up our grill ๐
Skewer the meat (soak the sticks first!), arrange them on a rack over a baking sheet and then broil while regularly basting with the oyster sauce mixture until they are nicely charred. Enjoy!
Agnes says
Thank you for the tips! will try it real soon!