The classic Filipino pork humba is a sweet and savory stew made with pork belly cubes cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, pineapple juice, tausi (fermented black beans), onions, garlic, sangke (star anise), peppercorns, salt and pepper. I have seen this pork dish often served in many Filipino households, be it as an everyday meal or as a party dish at city festivals, birthdays, special occasions, and even as a popular appetizer in restaurants. The ease of preparation and the healthy sweetness that complements the rice, an Asian staple, make this dish a crowd-pleaser.
What is Humba?
In the second edition of The Ultimate Filipino Adobo, The author Claude Tayag goes deep into the description of the Humba. Chef Claude defines humba (let’s say “hoom-bah”) as a close relative of the Filipino adobo. He said, “Adobo is to Filipinos as Humba is to the Chinese community in the Philippines.”
The origin of the word humba comes from the Chinese word “hong,” which means “to cook in an airtight container,” while “ba” means pork in Hokkien, according to Claude.
For most Filipinos, humba is sweet adobo. And especially in the Visayas region, humba is a popular pork dish that most households in this province have in their kitchen.
How many Humba variations are there?
There are various home cooking recipe versions of humba in Filipino households. However, it seems that this braised pork stew contains some common ingredients and flavors. You can find pork belly cubes cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, tausi, garlic and star anise. Some versions contain tahure (fermented soybean paste), dried banana flowers, peanuts and spices.
Required ingredients:
Here is a list of what you need. The more detailed recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
- Tausi – These are Chinese fermented, salted black beans. I used Tausi from the can.
- Pork belly, one pound, cut into 2-inch cubes.
- Soy sauce – I used Filipino brands like Silver Swan
- White Vinegar – I used store brand white distilled vinegar.
- Pineapple juice – to sweeten the pork stew
- Broth – pork, chicken or beef (or use water)
- Garlic cloves – simply peel and add to the stew.
- Star anise – in Pilipino it is called “Sangke”. This star-shaped spice exudes a strong licorice-like flavor and aroma. Only use 2 or 3 of the star edges.
- Brown sugar – needed to sweeten the pork. I always add sugar last, when the meat is almost done. Sugar can burn the dish, so it’s best to add it at the end of cooking.
- Dried bay leaves – make sure they are purchased fresh. Bay leaves provide a slightly herbal, peppery taste.
- Dried Banana Flowers – This is optional. I sometimes use it to please ancestors who may like the traditional way of cooking humba. They look like dried yellow small stems. It adds sweetness and makes the sauce sticky and thick. This is sold here in America in Asian or Filipino grocery stores or even online.
- Salt and black pepper
The cooking process and pre-cook it:
Pork Humba is one of the easiest Filipino stews to make. The pork cubes are braised first, then add the remaining ingredients to the soup pot. Simmer everything together until the meat is soft and tender and the sauce gives off a sweet scent. Humba tastes salty and sweet at the same time, with a slight hint of licorice from the star anise. And the best part about this recipe is that you can make it in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer. Simply thaw it and reheat it on the day of serving.
How to store:
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer. Pork Humba can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. This will keep in the freezer in an airtight plastic container for up to a month.
Pig Humba
Pork Humba is a sweet and salty Filipino pork stew. Many Filipinos refer to it as a sweet version of adobo. The pork cubes are cooked in soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar and broth and seasoned with star anise, salted black beans, sugar and spices. The powerful layers of flavor in this pork stew are delicious. This stew can be served with steamed rice as a side dish. This is a recipe by Elizabeth Ann Quirino for ArticleSubmission.news.
Servings: 2 People
Calories: 156kcal
- 1/2 cup Tausi (salted black beans, canned); drained
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pound Liempo (pork belly), cut into 5cm cubes: trim off excess fat
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 quite medium white or yellow onion, sliced
- 4 pieces Garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoon Toyo (soy sauce), like Silver Swan
- 2 tablespoon White vinegar, such as datu puti or store brand white distilled vinegar
- 3/4 cup Pineapple juice
- 1 cup Broth, use pork, beef or chicken
- 3 pieces Star anise tips (broken off from a whole star piece)
- 2 pieces dried bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dried banana flowers (optional)
Preparation of Tausi (salted black beans)
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Drain the water from the canned salted black beans.In a medium bowl, soak the black beans in water for 1 hour to soften them and minimize the salty taste.After 1 hour, drain the water. Rinse the black beans under running water. Then place in a colander to drain excess liquid. Set aside.
How to prepare pork belly cubes:
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Place the pork belly cubes in a medium bowl. Sprinkle a teaspoon of baking soda over the meat. Mix the baking soda well with the meat. Let the baking soda sit on the meat for 30 minutes. This will make the pork cubes softer.After 30 minutes, wash the baking soda off the pork cubes under running water. Drain well. Set the pork aside.
How to cook pork humba:
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In a saucepan over medium heat, add the oil.When the oil is hot enough, fry the onions and garlic.Add the pork cubes. Braise the pork until browned on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes.
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In the pot with the pork add soy sauce, vinegar, pineapple juice, broth, Then add the salted black beans, star anise and bay leaves.Season with salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer the pork over medium heat until the meat is tender, about 35 to 40 minutes.
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When the pork is almost cooked and tender, add the brown sugar and, if using, dried banana blossoms. Mix well.Continue cooking over low heat for about 5 minutes.When ready, serve the pork humba warm with steamed rice.
Cook’s comments:
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Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Pork Belly: When I’m in a rush and don’t have time to tenderize the pork cubes, I use a kitchen trick – I use Trader Joe’s fully cooked pork belly. This whole cut of pork sold at Trader Joe’s grocery store is already pre-cooked and lightly salted, eliminating the initial cooking steps. of a pork humba recipe. When I use this kitchen hack, the cooking time is also done in 20 minutes. For this recipe I used 2 packages (12 ounces each). You can find these in the refrigerated section of Trader Joe’s.
Portion: 100grams | Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 39G | Protein: 0.5G | Fat: 0.2G | Saturated fat: 0.04G | Polyunsaturated fat: 0.1G | Monounsaturated fat: 0.03G | Sodium: 1138mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1G | Sugar: 36G | Vitamin A: 69IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
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