Ah, Liempo with Rice—a Filipino classic! 🥩🍚 Liempo is grilled or roasted pork belly, juicy, flavorful, and often marinated in a sweet-savory mixture. Served with plain steamed rice, it’s simple but absolutely satisfying.
🥘 Ingredients (4 servings)
For the Liempo:
- 2 lbs pork belly, skin-on
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup vinegar (or calamansi/lime juice)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp brown sugar or honey
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- Optional: 1 tsp paprika or chili flakes for a kick
For Serving:
- 4 cups steamed white rice
🥄 Instructions
1. Marinate the Pork
- In a bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Pour over pork belly, making sure it’s fully coated.
- Marinate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight for best flavor.
2. Cook the Liempo
Option 1 – Grill:
- Preheat grill to medium-high.
- Grill pork belly 6–8 minutes per side, basting with marinade, until cooked through and nicely charred.
Option 2 – Oven:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roast pork belly on a baking sheet 35–45 minutes, turning halfway, until caramelized and crispy on top.
3. Serve
- Slice the liempo into bite-sized pieces.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
- Optional: drizzle extra marinade over rice or add a side of pickled vegetables for contrast.
💡 Tips:
- For extra crispiness, broil the pork for the last 5 minutes of roasting.
- Leftover liempo can be diced and fried with garlic for Pork Belly Sisig-style rice topping.
- A little squeeze of calamansi or lemon over the meat brightens the flavor.
If you want, I can give a “restaurant-style crispy and juicy liempo recipe” that’s guaranteed to have that perfect caramelized exterior and tender inside.
Do you want me to do that?
