Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (2024)

BY :Bebs | Published: | Updated: | 114 Comments

RECIPE VIDEO PRINT

4.79 from 41 votes

Pin It

Get this easy recipe for Pork Hamonado that hasa perfect balance of sweet and savory and with meat so tender, it melts in your mouth.

Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (1)

  • What is Hamonado?
  • What cut of pork to use?
  • Printable Recipe
  • Easy Pork Hamonado

What is Hamonado?

Pork Hamonado is a Filipino dish that involves cooking the meat in pineapple juice.

It is or was a kind of food that is only served at special occasions like for Christmas or Fiestas. Understandably, not only because most ordinary people from earlier years could not afford to eat porkevery day but, also, such rich food should be only eaten occasionally.

But nowadays, it's become common to see iton the lunch or dinner tables on any regular day.

Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (2)

What cut of pork to use?

Different kind of pork cuts can be used as long as there is some fat in it. This is because this dish involves slow cooking the meat in the sweetened soy sauce. This process will bring out the pork's flavor.For this Pork Hamonado recipe, I used pork belly. Other cuts that can be used are pork ham, neck or shoulder.

What I like about this recipe is it is fairly simple and easy. The hardest part, for me at least, was the waitingwhile the meat is cooking which might take some time to get that tender melt-in-your-mouth meat, but it was definitely worth it!

Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (3)

Some Q&A about cooking this Pork Hamonado Recipe

What pork cuts to use?

I used pork belly for this recipe but Pork knuckles, pork legs (ham), pork shoulder, or any part that has fat attached should be good for this recipe. Cooking time may vary though depending on the toughness of the meat.

What kind of soy sauce to use?

I know that this would not be a question if you are in the Philippines as we only know one kind of soy sauce. The others go by a different name for us (usually we call them by the brand).

In other countries, however,there are different soy sauces in the market and they have different flavors and render different outcomes. If you can find a regular soy sauce from the Philippines, then that would be perfect, otherwise, look for the all-purpose or dark variety.

Sweetened pineapple juice or not?

You can use any of the two actually. But if you are going to use sweetened pineapple juice, skip the sugar first as it may be already too sweet if it is added.

Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (4)

Printable Recipe

Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (5)

Print Review

Easy Pork Hamonado

4.79 from 41 votes

Get this recipe of Pork Hamonado that has a perfect balance of sweet and savory and with meat so tender, it melts in your mouth.

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

Course :Main Course

Servings =6

Print Recipe Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2-3 pounds Pork belly - cut into 2 inch long and about ¾ inch thick
  • 6 cloves garlic - crushed
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons peppercorn
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks
  • salt -if needed
  • a dash of ground pepper

Instructions

  • Place the pork belly slices in a pot or deep pan.

  • Mix all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl until well blended and salt and sugar are dissolved.

  • Pour the liquid mixture to the pork belly and bring to boil over medium-high heat.

  • Once it starts to boil, lower down the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid then let it simmer for 40-50 minutes or so or until the meat is fork tender.

  • Remove the cover and continue to simmer until fat quite literally melts in your mouth. By then, the liquids would have been reduced to a thick sauce.

  • Serve while hot with steamed rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 888kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 19gFat: 80gSaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 2216mgPotassium: 544mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 2mg

Have you tried this recipe?Mention @foxyfolksy or tag #FoxyFolksyRecipes!

More Filipino Recipes

  • Ginisang Togue
  • Binignit
  • Sinangag
  • Palitaw sa Latik

Latest Recipes

Ginisang Togue

Binignit

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Sinangag

Palitaw sa Latik

Peri-Peri Chicken

Graham Balls

Lechon Paksiw

Reader Interactions

Comments

    What do you think?

  1. pacita says

    Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (18)
    whole recipe please

    Reply

  2. Marilou says

    Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (19)
    i’ve tried to cook the Banana Bread Recipe, it’s taste delicious. Thank you for sharing all the recipes.

    Reply

  3. Madeline says

    Hi,

    Can this be made ahead and frozen? Thanks.

    Reply

  4. Josephine says

    Looks great! I’ll try this recipe. Haven’t tasted it in 50 years since I moved to tge USA. Thanks for sharing❤️❤️❤️

    Reply

  5. Xtin says

    Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (20)
    This is the best pork hamonado I have tried by far! I only have this on special occasion because I eat a lot of rice whenever I have this! 😄

    Reply

  6. Heather says

    Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (21)
    This is a homerun. The only suggestion I would make is less water. It took a while to cook down the broth so it was a thick delicious nectar. We served over rice with plantains. Wow! A real crowd pleaser. Will definitely cook it again.

    Reply

  7. anna says

    Hello wonderful ,
    can cook this in the instapot? If so, please may I have the directions.

    Smiles

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Hi Anna, yes you can and I will share it here soon!

      Reply

  8. Gareth says

    Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (22)
    I have recently opened my own small restaurant/takeaway in England selling Filipino food and as an englishman who's tasted the cuisine and fell in love with it I am trying to commercialise the recipes to be sold to the english people who haven't tasted the cuisine before. This is no easy feat because english people can be very picky when it comes to trying new things.

    Many of the recipes in the Philippines have a very distinct taste and a lot more fat (tastes better) but we live in a world where people are trying to make better and healthier food choices so I'm trying to reduce the salt / fat / sugars in most of the dishes .... HOWEVER .... that being said .....

    Hamanado is my FAVOURITE of all the Filipino dishes. It's soft, juicy, sweet, sticky and .... well ... most importantly ... it contains pineapple ... and I love pineapple 🙂

    I'm going to give this receipe a whirl as a one-off special in the store later in the month and see how it goes ..... one question I did have though is this.

    If I batch cook this and then store it in smaller 1-2 person portions .... when reheating or god forbid "microwaving" ... if I added a little more pineapple juice mixed with a little water .... this would help prevent the meat from scorching (or going hard) on the edges while maintaining the original flavor of when it was stored right?

    Something Im gonna try anyway ... and if it ain't answered I will follow up with results later anyway .....

    Thanks for your wonderful recipe and I'll be sure to stay tuned for some more tips too .... also ... that orange juice replacement dish .... sounds inviting too 🙂

    Thanks for the great recipe! <3

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Hi Gareth, I am happy to hear that you love Filipino cuisine and grateful that you are trying to put it out there for your English folks to experience. As for your question, adding fresh (uncooked) pineapple juice diluted in water when reheating, might give the dish a bit of a sour/citrusy taste, unless of course, you let it simmer again, but I think that beats the purpose of preparing it ahead. My suggestion is to make more sauce to simmer the meat in and then take some of the sauce when it is getting thicker and store that to add later when reheating. I hope that helps.

      Reply

  9. Mari says

    Hi, just want to ask once cooked how long can I keep this in the fridge? Thanks

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      As it is sweet, it should last for a couple of days in the fridge if stored properly.

      Reply

  10. Shana says

    Hi! Can I use orange juice instead? If yes, what adjustments should I make with the other ingredients?

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      It is not common but I used orange juice for a pork recipe before, Carnitas, and it tastes amazing. Just use it the same way as the pinenapple juice.

      Reply

  11. Marcy says

    Turned out really salty for me. Was able to salvage by taking out the meat, removing half of the sauce, adding 2 more cups of water, another half cup of pineapple juice and some more sugar, then let it boil with the meat. I used Marca Pina soy sauce and golden circle pineapple juice.

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Hi Marcy, yes, I noticed the same thing when using this brand. I think their soy sauce is darker (more concentrated) that others.

      Reply

  12. Dannie says

    Hi. It looks delicious and I really wanna try it. When do I put the pineapple chunks? If I put it at the start, will it be too soggy? Thank you.

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Hi Dannie, it is in the recipe to add all the rest of ingredients in step 2. It will not only be soggy but almost crushed by the time the meat is tender.

      Reply

  13. Pearlie says

    Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (23)
    Discovered this great recipe during quarantine and I’ve been cooking this almost every week. My 7-year old son loves it! The only problem with this is I tend to eat more rice. 😋
    Thanks for sharing 😊

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      LOL! I feel you Pearlie, it is also a problem for us cooking these kinds of food all the time.😉 Really glad that you like it thouh..

      Reply

« Older Comments

Easy Pork Hamonado Recipe using Pork Belly - Foxy Folksy (2024)

FAQs

Why should pork belly cuts be poached or boiled? ›

The idea is that by boiling the fatty pork belly, it not only renders out some of the fat, it also tenderizes the meat. Because the boiling time is so short it's debatable how tender it makes the meat, but what it does do is prime the fat for high-heat cooking.

How do you reheat pork belly in the air fryer? ›

Storing and Reheating

Store any leftover pork belly in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, and enjoy it within 4 days. You can reheat the pork belly in the air fryer at 375°F for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

Does pork belly get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

Pork belly can be cooked in many different ways, but here are a few methods to help make it tender: Slow Cooking: Slow cooking is one of the best methods to make pork belly tender. You can slow cook it in a slow cooker or oven at a low temperature for several hours until it's fully cooked and tender.

Do you rinse pork belly before cooking? ›

Washing beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination. Some consumers think they are removing bacteria and making their meat or poultry safe.

Why do you put vinegar on pork belly? ›

White Vinegar helps dry out the skin – but it has a secondary purpose of removing the odour! If you are prepared, place the Pork in the Fridge UNCOVERED overnight – the skin will dry out. When you pre-heat your oven, remove the pork from the fridge and let it return to room temperature.

Should I boil my pork belly before frying? ›

Once you have the belly, the next thing you'll need to do is boil it, which helps render out some of the fat before frying. Based on other recipes I've seen, there's a split between boiling the belly in plain salted water and water that has additional seasonings like garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and soy sauce.

Is pork belly better in air fryer or oven? ›

You haven't had the best crackling until you try this Easy Air Fryer Pork Belly. The crackling will surprise you if you've only ever cooked pork belly in the oven. Minimal effort for maximum results with the perfect pork crackling every time!

How long does it take to cook a pork belly in the oven? ›

Cook approximately 1.5 hours, though a lot will depend on the size of your pork belly. You want to cook until the internal temperature is 160-165°F. Remove meat from oven and remove salt crust. It should come off in pieces.

How do you keep pork belly crispy after cooking? ›

Let it cool about half an hour, then wrap it up (a clean plastic grocery bag works well, or just use cling wrap) and refrigerate it. I can usually keep a piece of roast pork, beef or even chicken this way for several days, or longer.

Do you need to boil pork before roasting? ›

3. boiling water trick. This one is lesser known, however, once you have done all the hard work of drying out the skin, go ahead and place the roast on a rack and pour boiling water over the skin, whilst it is in the sink. This helps to prep the skin to crackle as its now "pre-cooked" so to speak.

Why do you pour boiling water on pork belly? ›

boiled water over the scored rind. This will slightly. open the rind up.

Should you always boil pork before cooking? ›

Why Boil Pork Ribs? The reason you would boil ribs before cooking them is simple. This process helps tenderize the ribs and makes them more juicy. It not only shortens the cooking time significantly, but it also helps make the meat far easier to chew.

Does pork need to be boiled before cooking? ›

So, no, you don't need to cook the meat before cooking it. Just make sure that it is cooked to a safe internal temperature whatever method you are using. Note that boiling in general is a sucky way to cook meat.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Greg O'Connell

Last Updated:

Views: 6450

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Greg O'Connell

Birthday: 1992-01-10

Address: Suite 517 2436 Jefferey Pass, Shanitaside, UT 27519

Phone: +2614651609714

Job: Education Developer

Hobby: Cooking, Gambling, Pottery, Shooting, Baseball, Singing, Snowboarding

Introduction: My name is Greg O'Connell, I am a delightful, colorful, talented, kind, lively, modern, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.