Filipino Pork Barbecue on a Stick are as much fun to eat as they are delicious. With a sweet, salty, and slightly spicy flavor combo, they're absolutely addictive!
Since our weather is beginning to heat up here in Texas, and G has been firing up the charcoal pit almost every day, I thought I'd repost our favorite thing to grill.
Filipino pork barbecue is a meat kebab made of pork slices marinated in a sweet and savory sauce and grilled to perfection. It's popular street food in the Philippines, commonly peddled on makeshift grill carts at street corners. It's also a regular mainstay at parties and special gatherings and widely enjoyed as a viand with hefty servings of rice or as portable appetizers to complement ice-cold beer.
Pork cut to use
The success of your pork barbecue is half the marinade and half the type of pork you use. For the best texture and flavor, choose a cut with adequate ribbons of fat, such as pork butt (kasim). Pork belly is too fatty to use, and pork loin or tenderloin is too lean and dry.
Make sure to slice in very thin, uniform sizes to ensure even cooking and across the grain for a tender chew. You can also have the butcher slice the meat for you; ask for pang-BBQ.
Marinade ingredients
Like most mainstream dishes, every Filipino cook or household has their version of barbecue pork. While calamansi or lemon juice appears to be standard for most Filipino pork barbecue recipes, I use vinegar instead to help tenderize the meat.
I first marinate the thin pork slices in a mixture of vinegar, 7-up, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, chili peppers, and copious amounts of garlic to amp up the flavor and then finish off the partially grilled meat with a basting mixture of oyster sauce, banana ketchup, and sesame oil to achieve gooey, sticky, yummy goodness.
This recipe makes about 50 barbecue sticks. Who needs 50 pieces of Filipino pork barbecue, you say? Please take one bite. Youโll thank me later.
These barbecue pork on a stick are seriously addictive; you'd wish you made more! A delightful marriage of sweet, salty, and spicy, you'll be hard-pressed to stop at just one.
Ready to grill a batch? Check out my tips below for the best pork barbecue ever!
Helpful tips
- Soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before skewering the meat to prevent them from burning when grilling.
- Drain the sliced pork well and pat dry so the excess liquid does not dilute the marinade.
- For great depth of flavor, marinate the meat for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results. I don't recommend marinating the meat longer than overnight as the acids in the marinade will break down the protein fibers of the meat.
- For food safety, discard the marinade and make a fresh batch of basting sauce. If you want to use the marinade, boil it for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce the marinade and kill off any bacteria from the raw meat.
- To prevent excessive charring and the meat from burning before fully cooked, grill the pork FIRST for a few minutes on each side before basting. Once the meat changes color, start brushing with the sauce.
How to serve and store
- Filipino-style barbecue is traditionally enjoyed as a snack or party appetizer. It's popular street food, usually with vinegar dipping sauce and a pulutan served with hard drinks.
- It's also commonly served as a main meal with pancit or rice. Try it with Java rice and homemade atchara for a delicious feast the whole family will love!
- As the recipe makes a huge amount, you may want to keep the seasoned meat in the freezer for future use. Transfer to resealable bags or air-tight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
More grilled recipes
Ingredients
- 6 pounds pork butt, sliced to 1-inch wide and ยผ-inch thick
- 3 cups 7-up
- 2 cups soy sauce
- 2 cups vinegar
- 2 cups oyster sauce
- 3 cups brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup garlic, peeled and minced
- 10 Thai chili peppers (siling labuyo), minced
- 2 cups banana ketchup
- ยฝ cup sesame oil
For the Spiced Vinegar Dip
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ยฝ onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 Thai chili peppers, chopped
- โ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ยผ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse pork strips and drain well. Pat dry.
- In aย large bowl, combine 7-up, soy sauce, vinegar, 1 cup of the oyster sauce, brown sugar, garlic, black pepper, and chili peppers.
- Add pork and massage meat to fully incorporate. Marinate, turning meat once or twice, in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
- Thread 2 to 3 meat slices onto each skewer.
- In a bowl, combine remaining 1 cup of oyster sauce, banana ketchup, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Grill meat kebabs over hot coals for about 2 to 3 minutes each side.ย
- When pork starts to lose its pink, baste with oyster sauce-ketchup mixture. Continue to grill and baste, turning on sides, until meat is cooked through.
- Remove from heat and serve as is or with spicy vinegar dip.
For the Spiced Vinegar Dip
- In a bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, onion, chili peppers, ground pepper, and salt.
Notes
- Soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before skewering the meat to prevent them from burning when grilling.
- Drain the sliced pork well and pat dry so the excess liquid does not dilute the marinade.
- For great depth of flavor, marinate the meat for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results. I don't recommend marinating the meat longer than overnight as the acids in the marinade will break down the protein fibers of the meat.
- For food safety, discard the marinade and make a fresh batch of basting sauce. If you want to use the marinade, boil it for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce the marinade and kill off any bacteria from the raw meat.
- To prevent excessive charring and the meat from burning before fully cooked, grill the pork FIRST for a few minutes on each side before basting. Once the meat changes color, start brushing with the sauce.
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
Patricia says
how long can you leave the marinated meat in the freezer/ ref.. I am planning to keep it for about 3-5 days before I cook it.. because I prepare everything in advance so that I have less time time preparing when cooking in the morning... thanks in advance for the reply
Lalaine says
I usually marinate overnight, 2 days the most. Anything longer than that, I suggest transferring the meat plus marinate into resealable bags to keep in freezer, for food safety.
Roy says
Hello, tanong ko lang po kung pwede po ba ito lutuin sa oven or sa skillet? And saan po ba nakakabili ng pork butt dito sa US? Any suggestions? Thank you!
Lalaine says
Yes, pwedeng lutuin sa oven or pan-fry. I buy pork butt sa Filipino store dito sa Southern California, Seafood City ๐
MATEO LLEDO says
BARBECUE IS MY LITTLE BUSINESS HERE IN MANILA, I WILL TRY YOUR RECIPE.
Lalaine says
Hope your customers will love it ๐ Wishing more blessings and success in your business.
Terry says
you say you use vinegar to tenderize the meat. will it give off a vinegar-y/tangy taste to the bbq pork?
Lalaine says
Hi Terry
No, there is no residual flavor from the vinegar. I guess with all the other ingredients in the marinade, you'll barely, if even, taste the vinegar. Please trust me on this, these BBQ pork are soooo good, you need to try them.
Terry says
Lalaine-
I made these bbq pork two weeks ago and they were amaaaaaazing!! Did not taste one drop of vinegar in there. Making these again this weekend for a party! I'm sure everyone will love it as much as I did! Thank you for the recipe! Definitely a keeper ๐
Lalaine says
Yay! I am glad you enjoyed them!. I always make BBQ pork for potluck parties and they are always the first to go. I hope your guests will love them ๐
Cathy says
Hi Lailani. Thanks for the recipe. I made it for our company picnic and it was a hit. It was my first time making this kind of recipe. I also had to cut the recipe in half. Everyone loved it. The only thing I want to know is that I need to substitute with gluten free soy sauce and oyster sauce. My husband is gluten sensitive and he wanted to try it so bad. Do you know what I can use as a substitute, especially the oyster sauce. I don't see any gf oyster sauce. Thanks.
Sheila says
Does 6lbs/this recipe make 100 skewers? I don't know wht but a lot of the sites I am seeing uses at least 12lbs to make that much..
Also besides pork butt, what other cut of pork do you recommend? Thanks!
Lalaine says
Hello Sheila
The amount of servings is really dependent on how many slices of meat you thread into the stick and how thick the meat was sliced. I find by using about 3 strips of meat at 1/4 inch thick and 1 inch wide per stick, I am able to come up with more or less 100 pieces. Believe me 6 pounds of meat sliced thinly will make a lot.
I prefer pork butt (the fatter part of pork shoulder) as it has a good ratio of meat and fat. Leaner cuts tend to be dry. You can try the leaner pork tenderloin if you like and insert a few strips of pork fat here and there if you like.
Sheila says
Thanks for the tip!! I want to use pork butt for sure ๐ It tastes so much better!
Patrick says
Hi Laliane,
Is it ok the add the sugar to the marinade. Some recipes I seen said to add the sugar later when you are going to grill as the sugar can make the meat tough. I am not sure if this is true have you ever found this happening?
Lori says
Could this recipe be used for chicken? Thank you
Lalaine says
Hi Lori
Yes, chicken can be used in place of pork ๐
DowntownFoodie says
Mmm, the spiced vinegar dip sounds great! I will definitely give it a try! Is that a traditional accompaniment or is it your own creation? Yum, yum!
Lalaine says
Yes, it is a standard accompaniment for BBQ and a lot of Filipino food such as fried lumpia, fish, grilled meat. ๐
Gerald pugal says
What kind of vinegar did you use? Apple or white distiller?
Lalaine says
I used a Filipino brand vinegar but if you can't find one, white distilled will do.
May says
In the winter, can I cook this bbq pork on the stick in the oven? How and at what temperature?
Lalaine says
You can either pan fry the pork or bake them. I am thinking 375 F will be ok, once cooked throw them in the broiler for a few minutes to get some nice charring.
Marco says
Hi! I hope you won't mind if I link you in my blog,
Lalaine says
No problem ๐
Miya says
OMG! this recipe is beyond so good. We made this recipe for our new years family dinner and everybody loves it. Once again, thanks for sharing this awesome recipe ๐
Lalaine says
Thanks, Miya. I am glad the BBQ pork were a hit ๐
Patrick says
How much is 1 cup in your measurements? And could you think about doing more large portion recipes like this as its hard to find recipes to 100 to 200 people or because I am thinking about start a street food stall in Belfast, Ireland. Thanks Lalaine.
Lalaine says
Wow, a street food stall! How exciting! I wish you much success in your new venture ๐
1 cup=8 ounces.
Patrick says
Thanks for the reply. I'll keep an eye on your blog for ideas and inspiration.
Salamat
Lalaine says
Thank you ๐
Alto says
Ito ang handa namin lagi tuwing new year's eve ๐ try ko ung recipe mo
Lalaine says
Hello Alto
Kami rin, BBQ at tsaka hotdog Sa stick pag New year. ๐ Hope you give this recipe a try, sooo good!
Cindy says
Looks amazing. Is there a brand you prefer for Banana Catsup? I have a large Asian Market by me I hope to find it there.
Lalaine says
There is no brand really that I prefer over the other. Jufran or UFC are the brands that are available mostly in the asian grocer near me, I buy whatever is on sale. ๐