Pork Humba
Pork Humba is a sweet-salty Filipino pork stew. Many Filipinos refer to it as a sweet adobo version. The pork cubes are simmered in soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, broth, and flavored with star anise, salted black beans, sugar and seasonings. The powerful layers of flavors of this pork stew are delicious. This stew can be served with steamed rice as an accompaniment. This is a recipe by Elizabeth Ann Quirino for The Quirino Kitchen.
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 156kcal
Equipment
- Assorted mixing bowls - small to large
- Large saucepan - 12 to 14-inches diameter
- Mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tausi (salted black beans, canned); drained
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pound liempo (pork belly), cut in 2-inch cubes: trim fat if excessive
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 whole medium-sized white or yellow onion, sliced
- 4 pieces garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 Tablespoons toyo (soy sauce), like Silver Swan
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar, like Datu Puti or store-brand white distilled vinegar
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup broth, use pork, beef or chicken
- 3 pieces star anise points (broken from 1 whole star piece)
- 2 pieces dried bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dried banana blossoms (optional)
For serving:
- steamed rice
Instructions
To prepare tausi (salted black beans)
- Drain the water from the canned salted black beans.In a medium-sized bowl, soak the black beans in water for 1 hour to soften, and to minimize the salty flavor.After 1 hour, drain the water. Rinse the black beans in running water. Then place in a colander to drain any excess liquid. Set aside.
To prepare pork belly cubes:
- In a medium-sized bowl place the pork belly cubes. Sprinkle the teaspoon of baking soda all over the meat. Blend the baking soda well into the meat. Let the baking soda stay on the meat for 30 minutes. This softens the pork cubes.After 30 minutes, wash off the baking soda from the pork cubes, through running water. Drain well. Set the pork aside.
To cook Pork Humba:
- In a saucepan, over medium heat, add the oil.When the oil is hot enough, saute the onions and garlic.Add the pork cubes. Braise the pork for about 3 to 5 minutes till brown on all sides.
- To the saucepan with the pork , add the soy sauce, vinegar, pineapple juice, broth, Then add the salted black beans, star anise and bay leaves.Season with salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer over medium heat, the pork for about 35 to 40 minutes till the meat is tender.
- When pork is nearly done, and is fork-tender, add the brown sugar and dried banana blossoms, if using. Mix well.Continue cooking over low heat for about 5 minutes more.When done, serve the Pork Humba warm with steamed rice.
Cook's comments:
- Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Pork Belly: When I am in a rush, and don't have time to tenderize the pork cubes, I use a kitchen hack - I use the Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Pork Belly. This whole slab of pork, sold at Trader Joe's grocery, is already pre-boiled, slightly salted, so it cuts the first few cooking steps. of a Pork Humba recipe. Cooking time is also done in 20 minutes if I use this kitchen hack. For this recipe, I used 2 packages (12 ounces each). These can be found at the chilled section of Trader Joe's.
Nutrition
Serving: 100grams | Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 1138mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 69IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg