Filipino BBQ

Forgive the lighting on that plate of BBQ and just know that it tastes much, much better than it looks. Filipino BBQ is so simple. It's hard to believe that something with so few ingredients can taste so good. But there's one catch - you must start it the night before, this is not a last minute kind of meal. 

Slice your pork thinly, a little less than a centimetre. I usually use sirloin or loin roast. My Lolo would use pork belly, which is a little fatty for my tastes, but whatever you do, don't use tenderloin - way too lean. You can also cut it into small chunks to be cooked on skewers, but for a family meal, I usually just do slices.

Marinade: 5-10 cloves garlic. I used 10 small cloves for about 1.5 kg of meat. 3/4 cup soy sauce. 1/2 cup sugar. 1/2  to 1 tsp black pepper. A couple of tablespoons of white vinegar.

Stir it up and mix in the pork, making sure everything is coated. It's a pretty low volume of marinade. You can mix up more, keeping more or less the same proportions, but you don't need a ton of liquid. Turn the pieces around halfway through if you can, but honestly, it's not crucial. Marinate at least overnight, and up to 2 days. You can also throw it in the freezer, and then when you defrost it, it will be fully marinated.

Crank up the heat on your grill and preheat at least 10 minutes.

Flames are good! Burnt bits are the best! Turn as needed, but also periodically close the lid and let it get blazing hot in between.

It's done when pieces are firm and edges are charred. Serve with steamed rice and a dipping sauce made of vinegar, chopped garlic, and a bit of patis (fish sauce). Or peanut sauce if you're feeling ambitious. Leftovers are great in a crusty white bun as an improvised banh mi. Eaten straight out of the fridge is pretty good too. 

Filipino BBQ

1-2 kg pork roast, sliced thinly

5-10 cloves garlic, chopped

3/4 cup dark soy sauce (i.e. Kikkoman)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp white vinegar

Mix marinade ingredients together and add pork, mixing to coat thoroughly. Let marinate at least overnight. Grill on high heat until charred and cooked through.