AI-generated image
Hamonado (pineapple-glazed pork)
Kapampangan pork belly braised in pineapple juice, brown sugar and soy until sticky
FilipinoHamonado, from the Spanish word for ham, is how Pampanga cooks give pork a festive, ham-like sweetness for fiestas without curing it: thick slabs of pork belly braised in pineapple juice, brown sugar and soy until the sauce turns to a sticky, shining glaze. Kapampangans are famous for their sweet tooth and this is a celebration dish through and through, tender and fatty, sweet, salty and a little tangy from the pineapple. Serve it sliced with steamed rice and a sharp side like atchara or pickled cucumbers. Chef's tip: chill the braise and lift off the hardened fat before reducing the sauce; the glaze is cleaner and less greasy.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb pork bellyskin on or off, in 4 cm slabs
- 2 cups pineapple juiceunsweetened
- 7 oz pineapple chunksfresh or tinned in juice, drained
- 2 ⅛ oz brown sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 onionsliced
- 1 tsp black peppercornslightly crushed
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix the 2 cups pineapple juice and ¼ cup soy sauce in a bowl, turn the 2 ¼ lb pork belly in it, cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes (or overnight).
3 minStep 2: Lift the pork out, keep the marinade and pat dry. Heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pan over a medium-high heat and sear the slabs until golden on all sides, about 8 minutes.
8 minStep 3: Add the 1 onion and 5 cloves garlic and cook 2 minutes until fragrant, then pour in the marinade with the 1 cup water, 2 bay leaves and 1 tsp black peppercorns.
3 minStep 4: Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes, until a knife slides through the pork easily; by now it is well past 145°F.
45 minStep 5: Uncover, add the 2 ⅛ oz brown sugar and 7 oz pineapple chunks and simmer over a medium heat, basting the pork, for 12–15 minutes, until the sauce is reduced to a thick glaze that clings to a spoon.
14 minStep 6: Turn the heat down to low for the last few minutes. Common mistake: boiling hard on high heat at the end; the sugar catches and turns bitter in seconds. Rest the pork 3 minutes, then slice and spoon the glaze over.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 48 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hamonado (pineapple-glazed pork) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Tiyula itumBlack beef soup
Tiyula itum, 'black soup', is the pride of the Tausug people of Sulu in the far south of the Philippines, cooked for weddings, Eid celebrations and when guests come home. Beef (it is a halal, pork-free dish) is simmered with ginger, lemongrass and turmeric, then darkened with pamapa itum, a paste of grated coconut toasted until almost black and pounded with spices. The broth looks dramatic but tastes smoky, earthy and gently peppery, with heat from chillies. Serve it with plain rice. Chef's tip: toast the coconut slowly, stirring all the time, until it is very dark brown but not ashy; burnt-to-ash coconut tastes bitter and ruins the soup.
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
GermanPerfect for:Christmas