Pork Hamonado

Marinate the pork belly. First, clean the pork belly cuts by massaging sea salt into the pork belly for 30 seconds, then washing them under running water. Put them into a clean mixing bowl, and add the soy sauce, pineapple juice, sprite, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and freshly ground black pepper. Using your clean hands, mix them all until well-combined. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Cook the Pork Hamonado. Heat up a big pan or pot under medium fire, and add 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Add the marinated pork belly cuts one by one. Fry each cut for 5 to 8 minutes, until the juice comes out. Let the acidity of the vinegar evaporate and cook through, and the fat rendered. Set aside cooked pork belly cuts. Using the oil from the fried pork belly, sauté the onions and garlic for 30 seconds. Add the cooked pork belly. Add more black pepper and 1 tsp of salt, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the marinade into the pan/ pot, and bring it to a boil for 1 minute. Add the sugar and ginisa mix, and water. Stir until well combined to the sauce. Add the bay leaf, and let it simmer under medium low fire for another 20 minutes. Check the pork belly by using a fork. It should be fork tender, and the fork should cut through the meat effortlessly. Once you’ve reached that tenderness, turn off the heat.

Serve! Once the Pork Hamonado is cooked, you can serve it right away. If you want a more flavorful Pork Hamonado, let it rest for at least 15 minutes before consuming.