Filipino pork skewers
with spicy vinegar dipping sauce
Filipino BBQ is famous for pork dishes and many of the marinades use carbonated soft drink for acidity and sweetness, along with banana ketchup. Banana ketchup was first produced in the Philippines in WWII, due a lack of tomatoes; though naturally yellow in colour it is often dyed red to look like tomato ketchup, though is slightly sweeter in taste. The dipping sauce is made using datu puti, a fermented sugar cane vinegar, that helps cut through the fattiness of the pork shoulder. If you want the traditional style, cook on bamboo skewers.
Ingredients
1kg pork shoulder, cut in 2cm cubes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
150ml banana ketchup (or tomato)
150ml 7Up (or any lemonade)
100ml soy sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
Spicy vinegar dipping sauce
1 shallot, sliced thinly
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 red birdseye chillies, chopped
1 tsp fish sauce
150ml datu puti vinegar (or any white vinegar)
Method
1. Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the pork. Place in a refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results
2. Combine the ingredients for the dipping sauce, this is best made an hour or so before grilling to allow the flavours to combine
3. Skewer the marinated pork shoulder and grill direct over medium heat, turning every few minutes until browned all over and cooked through. This will take 15-20 minutes depending on level of heat
4. Eat with spicy vinegar dipping sauce or makes a tasty accompaniment to white rice
