Are you craving for grilled liempo, but don’t have a grill? Worry not because I will show you how to grill liempo in the oven. We all know that this process is not really grilling, but rather baking or roasting. However, this is the closest that we can get with the real deal without using any grill — just a grill rack.
The preparation is still the same. The meat will need to be marinated in our special marinade. Let it stay overnight before starting to grill (or roast for this matter). I am using a grill rack for this recipe. Arrange it over a baking tray with aluminum foil. The rack elevates the liempo. This helps give the meat a cook evenly on both sides. It also prevents the meat from getting burnt quickly due to direct contact with the baking pan.
What I did was to set the oven to bake for a certain temperature at a defined amount of time. I then increased the temperature towards the last few minutes to give the liempo a nice dark color. Note that I was basting the pork with the remaining marinade every 10 minutes to prevent it from being dry. This is my way on how to grill liempo in the oven. Of course, it is worthy of some papaya atchara on the side.
How to Make Grilled Liempo Sauce
The sauce that I am referring to is actually a dip. It is composed of vinegar, soy sauce, onion, garlic powder, chili pepper and ground black pepper. Simple combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 cup vinegar, 2 tablespoons of chopped onion, a dash of garlic powder and ground black pepper, and chili peppers. Mix well. That’s it. Sometimes I add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. If there is sugar, I microwave the mixture for 30 seconds and give it a nice stir to blend all the ingredients.
Oven Grilled Liempo
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. pork belly sliced for grilling
- 1/2 cup papaya atchara
Marinade ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- Juice from 1 lemon or 4 pieces calamansi
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup banana ketchup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
- Put the sliced liempo in the bowl where the. marinade is. Makes sure that the pork belly is coated with the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but overnight is preferred.
- Place a grill rack over a baking tray topped with aluminum foil. Arrange the marinated liempo on the rack.
- Preheat oven to 370F. Bake the liempo for 20 minutes. Turn the meat over and grill the other side for 15 to 20 minutes. Baste the meat with the remaining marinade every 10 minutes.
- Set the heat to 430F. Roast for 6 to 10 minutes. No need to turn over.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with papaya atchara and grilled liempo sauce.
- Share and enjoy!
Grilling in the oven is just a small substitute for doing it right way on a grill. We all know that. Looking at the bright side -- preparing meat in the oven is healthier. When meat is cooked on traditional grill some potentially cancer-causing compounds are formed. It happens when fat from the meat drips onto the hot coals or grill element. Then with rising smoke they’re deposited back on the food. But actually I head a question -- do you think your marinade would suit oven grilled beef burgers? I thought to spread it on the top at the end of cooking.
Hey Kate -- thanks for the piece of information. Grilling in the oven is another way of cooking food which can get grilled-like results when a grill (gas or charcoal) is not available, or if it too cold outside to grill.
This marinade is not intended for any type of burgers. The lemon will make the burger sour. If you are interested in Asian inspired marinades, the best bet is to use teriyaki sauce.
Thanks for reply! I was so close from commiting an error, so close. Teriyaki sauce sounds great!
Hi, just came across your cassava cake recipe. Is it okay if I use a kitchen torch to brown the topping of the cassava cake? My iven has no grilling function. Hope to hear from you soon! Thank you!
What can be an alternative to banana ketchup in this recipe?