Grown Up’s Lemonade BBQ Pork

One thing’s for sure, my pork drive goes all night like a trucker.

It can’t be helped. Pork comes first, everything else comes second. Being Filipino and why heck, being Asian, it’s the way I’m built, it’s in my DNA to love it, to dream it and to find a multitude of ways to cook it.

Judging from the title of this recipe, some of you may be thinking, “Boy, what are ya doin’ adding lemonade to pork? You loco? Put that bottle down.” But don’t be calling a comeback, I’ve been doing this for years. As weird as it sounds, marinading meat this way, pork in particular, has been cemented in our tradition for generations and I know of a number of Filipino families who continue to swear by it. Some may go as far as saying that I’ve spilled the beans on their secret...OOPS!

Although it may be hard to find these days, it is highly recommended you use the very Ninety’s Style 7UP for this one. Being one to often deviate from following recipes step by step,  I’ve tried doing this recipe without the use of lemonade by substituting it with pineapple juice or brown sugar and worcestershire sauce but the meat didn’t turnout as tender and juicy so I’ve since stuck to the books.

It was the Queen’s Birthday today, which meant the usual sitting on the couch all day long eating all things naaasty so I felt like something that combined all the quintessential elements of my kinda comfort food: savoury, sweet and fatty and since the sun came out, a mini BBQ was in order. For you red wine lovers, I’ve got something special for you too. I decided to do a remix by pouring in some red, just for us Grown Ups and for colour. I’m a big kid now!

Lemonade BBQ Pork Belly Recipe

Whilst we’re on the couch topic, I was watching  the 2008 film, Flash of Genius – about how Detroit auto manufacturers had stolen the character’s idea for the intermittent windshield wiper. I won’t go into details of the movie but the lesson is simple: do NOT steal other people’s ideas and claim them your own and if they do, seek justice, fight for what’s right and make them pay for it. Integrity is everything. It made me think about how all that plays into the food blogging realm. A few things I’ve learnt over nearly 4 years of blogging is to be your authentic self, be original and as a community we need to give credit to a fellow blogger where it’s due. Your blog is an extension of who you are and for many of us, a true reflection of our personality and creativity. I’m sure most bloggers would be chuffed if you used a recipe of theirs or were inspired by their ideas or style of writing/posts – so long as you disclose that fact if you choose to go ahead and blog about it in some way or form. Even the smallest of reference would suffice. It’s just common courtesy. But it’s not all bad. As I’ve said many times before, starting this blog is one of the best things I’ve ever done and have had no regrets. I’m one to admit that I’ve made a few mistakes along the way and have suffered your usual bouts of blogger burnout but that’s all part of the journey and settling into a comfortable ‘blogger’s groove’. I do it because I dig it.  Along the way I’ve met so many new friends to feast with, received an abundance of kind words of encouragement from super cool readers from all over the globe, taken up some cool opportunities and have gained so much knowledge from fellow bloggers and am continually inspired by them.

Anywho, my rant is over.  What’s the sense in delayin’ this PORKIFIED recipe, let’s get to it!

Zee Ingredients

1 KG Pork Belly TIP: ask your butcher to cut this up into 1 inch slices to save you from doing it.

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 cups lemonade (preferably 7up) enough to submerge the meat

4 kumquats juiced

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 garlic cloves crushed

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of tabasco sauce

Adult’s OOH LA LA Version: add 1/2 cup red wine.

Zee Procedure

1. Wash the pork belly slices, pat dry and place them into a massive bowl

2. Crush 4 garlic cloves and rub it onto each piece then season with salt and pepper

3. Cut each kumquat into halves, remove the pips then juice into a small bowl. Then add the soy sauce, tabasco sauce, brown sugar, red wine and combine.

4. Pour the mixture over the pork and add the lemonade to ensuring all the pieces are submerged

5. Transfer the mix into a large air tight container and refrigerate for 3 days. Turnover each piece each day to let it all soak properly

To Cook

This is best barbequed over a charcoal grill for that good ol’ smokiness. Due to the amount of sugar, it will burn much quicker so just don’t grill too close to the coals.

Grill on each side until brown, slightly caramelised and the skin charred, basting with the leftover marinade as you go. I don’t know about you, but I like my pork quite charred!

You’ve been served!

It should be sticky, sweet and smoky with a hint of citrus. I love the beautiful hues of red when it all comes together.  I reckon it’s as great as candied bacon *hands cover mouth, eyes go all beady* Serve it up with a bowl of hot steamed rice. For accompaniments, pickled vegetables or green mango with shrimp paste will rock your planet. Oh, and eat it with a bowl of steamed rice and with your hands – true Pinoy style.

BBQ Pork Belly Recipe

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Keep eating…LIKE CRAZAAY!

Adrian

37 thoughts on “Grown Up’s Lemonade BBQ Pork

  1. Omg yum, that looks amazeballs! I love sticky-sweet-caramelized marinades on meat! Yummmmmmmm.

    I also completely agree with your rant – I feel that blogging is all about sharing your passion for something with the world, and if you’ve gotten inspiration from another blog then you should definitely disclose and give credit! 🙂

    xox Sarah

    1. Don’t ya just?! I love candied meat!
      Exactly right. Giving credit where it’s due is just common courtesy

  2. I combined red wine and gochujang the other day for my pork neck stew. I think it should be patented. kekekeke. this recipe of yours should be patented too!

  3. Hells yeah…! I’m all for eating rice with your hands. I do that too sometimes since it’s part of the Malay culture and it’s fun. Especially when you watch friends do it for the first time lol. Great name for the dish!! I do feel like part of the “cool club” for being old enough to have dishes with alky like these. Anyway, awesome stuff buddy the lemonade trick sure is dandy gotta try making it soon! Because I honestly cannot think of a better combo for comfort food than savoury, sweet and FATTY. NAILED IT!

    1. Eating with your hands is the best. Mastering the art of eating rice with your hands is amazing.
      Yes, comfort food must have all 3 elements LOL

  4. If that was a rant, then you’re the nicest ranter in the world, Sugar Twin!

    I’ve heard of cooking meat in coke, so lemonade does make a strange kind of send. Next stop, Creaming Soda Pork? (Holy that would be sweet!)

  5. I always got in trouble for eating rice with my hands when I was young, but it just made sense, dammit. But now I see it’s a “cultural” thing. Ha-HA!

    Lemonade…pork…. oof! YEAH!

  6. Hmmm! I love pork belly and one cuisine that also loves using this part of meat is Filipino food! I’ve never cooked with lemonade before but I’m intrigued. I’m going to post a pork belly dish later this week too. I can’t get enough of it. =D

    1. You can’t go wrong with pork belly huh. I’d like to do lemonade chicken wings next! I read your pork belly post – YUM! You continue to amaze me

  7. What a fabulous secret! I’ll have to try it out next time! I do suspect the marinating for three days makes the pork taste out of this world full of flavour.

  8. This looks fierce Adrian! And I totally agree about citing references. It’s the polite thing to do and the ethical thing to do. If you found it there, what’s the harm in telling people you found it there? Karma is a b**ch 😉

    1. Right on Lorraine! Credit where it’s due is the right thing to do. You have nothing to gain by doing the opposite.

  9. ooh I’ve heard of people marinating their meat with soft drinks but have never tried it out, this sounds real delicious and I guess the sugars in the soft drink help to caramelise the meat. Must try this out some time!

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