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Pork Humba Recipe: Easy Filipino Braised Pork Belly with Pineapple Juice

Tender and flavorful Filipino Pork Humba made with pork belly, soy sauce, vinegar, pineapple juice, brown sugar, black beans, and banana blossoms. Slowly braised until succulent and served with plenty of steamed rice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
MARINATING TIME 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Filipino
Servings 6
Calories 590 kcal

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Large frying pan or deep skillet
  • Wooden spoon or spatula
  • Tongs
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Slotted spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo pork belly cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 pieces star anise optional
  • 1/4 cup banana blossoms
  • 1/4 cup salted black beans rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 –3 cups water as needed
  • Oil if needed for sautéing

Instructions
 

  • Place the pork belly in a bowl. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and pineapple juice. Mix well and marinate for at least 1 hour.
  • Drain the pork and reserve the marinade.
  • Heat a wide pan and brown the pork belly until lightly golden and some of its fat has rendered. Remove the pork and leave the rendered fat in the pan.
  • Sauté the chopped onion until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
  • Return the pork to the pan. Add star anise, bay leaves, peppercorns, brown sugar, and the reserved marinade.
  • Pour in 2–3 cups of water, depending on the amount of sauce desired. Bring to a gentle boil.
  • Cover and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour, or until the pork is tender.
  • Add the rinsed salted black beans and banana blossoms. Stir gently.
  • Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes if you prefer a thicker sauce.
  • Serve hot with steamed white rice.

Notes

  • Brown the pork first to develop deeper flavor and render some of the natural fat.
  • Be careful when frying the pork because the rendered fat may splatter.
  • Sauté the onion before the garlic so the garlic does not burn.
  • Rinse the salted black beans thoroughly before adding them to control the saltiness.
  • Do not marinate the pork for more than 8 hours because the vinegar and pineapple juice can affect the meat's texture.
  • Cook the Humba low and slow for tender, succulent pork.
  • Brown sugar gives the sauce a richer caramel flavor than white sugar.
  • Star anise is optional but adds a warm, fragrant aroma.
  • Pork legs can be substituted for pork belly, but they require significantly longer cooking.
  • Chicken can also be used as an alternative protein.
  • Always taste the sauce before serving and adjust the sweetness, saltiness, or acidity to your preference.
  • Pork Humba is best served with plenty of steamed rice to soak up the rich sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 27gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 15gSodium: 1050mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17g
Keyword Filipino braised pork belly, Filipino pork humba, how to cook pork humba, humba recipe, pork belly recipe, pork humba, pork humba recipe, pork humba with pineapple juice, Visayan pork recipe
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