Pork Hamonado

Pork Hamonado with pork belly braised in pineapple juice and soy sauce for the ultimate pork dish. Melt-in-your-mouth tender with a sweet and savory sauce, it’s pure heaven on steamed rice!

Pork Hamonado
I cooked so many pork dishes these past weeks for our holiday series that I was literally knee-deep in all kinds of pig parts for days! My kitchen was quite a sight with a pig head roasting in the oven, pork ears and snout charring beautifully on an indoor grill, and pork belly simmering on the stovetop.

Although I enjoyed these dishes immensely, with an extra 5 pounds of weight to prove it, I have to say this pork hamonado was the clear winner of the lot. The combination of melt-in-your-mouth tender pork and a sweet and savory sauce over piping-hot steamed rice was just pure heaven; I ate way more than I should.


Pork Hamonado
What are the Ingredients of Hamonado

You can use basically any cut of pork in hamonado, but for a richer flavor and velvety soft texture, I suggest parts with a thick cap of skin and fat such as hocks, belly or shoulder.

The pork is braised in a mixture of pineapple juice and soy sauce along with aromatics, garlic, onion, peppercorns, and bay leaves. When the meat is tender, brown sugar is stirred in to add a touch of sweetness and pineapple chunks are added to round off the dish.


Pork Hamonado

Tips on How to Make Simple Pork Hamonado

Make sure to brown the pork. It may entail extra work but I promise it’s worth the effort. Searing over high heat caramelizes the surface of the meat. which enriches the dish with more complex flavors.

Don’t rush! Cooking low and slow allows the fat to melt and the tough, connective tissues to soften to melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.

Choose the right pineapple chunks. The liquid in the can is what you’ll use to braise the meat so make sure the pineapples are packed in juice and not heavy syrup which is usually lacking in the sour notes that will help balance the salty soy sauce.

I like to add about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to boost the tanginess of the pineapple juice. Once added in, allow it to boil uncovered and without stirring to mellow out the acid taste.
Use brown sugar and not white. It has a slightly less concentrated sweetness and contains molasses which enhance the rich flavor of the hamonado sauce.


Pork Hamonado
As our recipe series comes to a close, I want to thank you for making Kawaling Pinoy your hub for everything delicious this holiday season. I wish you the merriest Christmas and the happiest New Year. May your home be filled with joy and love.


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