PORK HUMBA

 

Humba, Adobong Bisaya is very popular dish in Visayas and most part of Mindanao, at some places they call it adobong Bisaya. Humba is basically cooked same way with adobo, it is a bit salty and sometimes sweetened with panocha or brown sugar but not too sweet compared to the Tagalog version. It has to be cooked dry and oily, to keep the shelf life longer with out refrigeration. It is during Fiestas that this dish is prepared when the pigs are slaughtered for the celebration.

Most of the extra pork meat would be cooked to humba and preserved in its oil in tin cans or containers. Weeks after the fiesta there would still be humba on surprise visits of friend and relatives. I even have some friend who brought humba here in Abu Dhabi. If you are now craving for that extra soft, melt in the mouth humba here is my recipe.

Ingredients:

1 k. pork liempo (belly), cut into big cubes
1/2 head garlic, crushed
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
3 pcs. bay leaf
1 tsp. peppercorns, crushed
salt

Cooking procedure:
In a thick sauce pan put all ingredients add enough water to cover meat and bring to a boil. Set heat to medium low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until pork belly are tender. Remove all scum that rises, add more water if necessary. When pork skin turns to gelatine like texture. Correct saltiness and sweetness according to taste, set heat to low and continue to simmer until all the liquid has evaporated and pork start to render fat. Now cook the pork on its own fat until brown on low heat stirring occasionally to avoid burning the bottom. Serve with a lot of rice,