Unless you are a Filipino, you’ve probably have never heard of Humba but that’s about to change 😉
Humba is a braised pork dish that uses vinegar and pineapple juice – giving a signature tangy and sweet flavor.
Some might even say it is similar to pork adobo. While adobo is a cooking method that can be used pretty much on most meat, Humba almost always uses pork belly as its main protein.
If you’ve read our other recipes, you already know that we love talking about the origin of the dishes we cook. Taking the time to learn where the dishes we eat today originates makes me feel more connected to other culture and historical events that has happened.
Humba was first brought to Philippines by Chinese immigrants.
The dish was originally Hong Bak (which means red pork), but it later evolved and became the Humba we know now through the addition of other ingredients such as vinegar and pineapple juice.
My favorite part of this dish though, is the fermented black beans (or tausi). That salty explosion brings a different kind of freshness that I really enjoy. The bay leaves also sends a homey aroma, similar to adobo.
ingredients:
pork marinade
- 1 lb of pork belly (cut into cubes)
- 1 onion
- At least 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of sugar
Humba
- 1 tbsp of oil
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp of black pepper
- 1 tbsp of vinegar
- ½ cup of pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp fermented beans
steps:
- To start, we will first marinate the cubed pork belly. Place pork belly in a bowl and add onion, garlic, soy sauce and sugar. Mix the pork belly with the marinade and then place the pork belly in an air tight container and store it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (the longer, the better)
- Next, pour cooking oil to a wok on medium-high heat and then add the marinated pork belly along with the onion and garlic in the wok. Cook until the meat is slightly brown.
- Add 2 cups of water into the wok and then cover the wok until it boils.
- Remove the wok lid once it’s boiling and add bay leaves, black peppercorn, vinegar and pineapple juice. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Cover the wok again and let it cook to tender for 1 hour.
- Lastly, remove the lid and add the fermented beans. Be careful not to include the juice from the beans because it will make the dish really salty.
- Add more water if needed to prevent the pork from burning. Give the dish another stir and then take the wok off the heat. Serve and enjoy!
Want to cook more easy home recipes? Check out our other recipes!
Humba
Ingredients
Pork Marinade
- 1 lb Pork Belly Cut into cubes
- 1 Onion sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Sugar
Humba
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil
- 2 cups Water
- 2-3 Bay Leaves
- 1 tbsp Black Peppercorn
- 1 tbsp Vinegar black/white
- 1/2 cup Pineapple Juice
- 2 tbsp Fermented black beans without the juice
Instructions
- To start, we will first marinate the cubed pork belly. Place pork belly in a bowl and add onion, garlic, soy sauce and sugar. Mix the pork belly with the marinade and then place the pork belly in an air tight container and store it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (the longer, the better)
- Next, pour cooking oil to a wok on medium-high heat and then add the marinated pork belly along with the onion and garlic in the wok. Cook until the meat is slightly brown.
- Add 2 cups of water and then cover the wok until it boils.
- Remove the wok lid when the pork belly is boiling and add bay leaves, black peppercorn, vinegar and pineapple juice. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Cover the wok again and let it cook and tenderize for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Lastly, remove the lid and add the fermented beans. Be careful not to include the juice from the beans because it will make the dish really salty.
- Add more water if needed to prevent the pork from burning. Give the dish another stir and then take the wok off the heat. Serve and enjoy!
