Pork Humba

Pork Humba is a Filipino dish that consist of pork belly, salted black beans, and others ingredients that makes it taste perfect for the Pinoy palate.

A great deal of Filipino dishes hold a rich history behind them, partly due to how many people passed through the archipelago that is the Philippines. From colonization periods to various traders, numerous factors have influenced Philippine cuisine to be what it is today. That is how we got the likes of our sweet, sour and savory Pork Humba!

What is Pork Humba?

As the name implies, this is a red meat dish that is packed with a whole load of seasonings. And so as a result, we get notes of sweetness from lemon lime soda, a lot of saltiness from soy sauce, and of course, a strong sourness from white vinegar. But for a dish that’s become so popular as a Filipino recipe, it may shock you that this has Chinese origins.

Humba is actually said to have been inspired by the hongba, a Chinese dish that involves pork knuckles. And like our recipe right here, it utilizes soy sauce. But the local dish has evolved a lot since to become its very own signature recipe. But my updated Pork Humba, in particular, has a lot more flavor than you would expect. That’s because I incorporate beef broth, and as I mentioned earlier, lemon lime soda. You can taste the difference once you cook up this lovely dish!

Pork Humba Ingredients

We will first need to cube 2 lbs. of pork belly. Also get ready with 2 ounces of banana blossoms, 3 saba bananas you’ve sliced, and 2 tablespoons of salted black beans. Let’s also grab our group of seasonings, which would be 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of white vinegar, 8 ounces of pineapple juice, 8 ounces of lemon lime soda, and 1 cup of beef broth. And finally, we will also want to chop 1 onion, as well as 1 head of garlic.

How to Make Pork Humba

1. Cooking the meat

Kick things off by searing the pork belly. Do this until the pork browns, and enough oil is rendered. Then you can transfer the pork belly to a separate container and set it aside for now.

2. Preparing the onion and garlic

Get your onion and garlic, and put them in a pot. Sauté the ingredients for 2 minutes.

3. Putting some of the ingredients together

Now just integrate your pork belly, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon lime soda, pineapple juice, and beef broth. Then place your cover on top, and wait for the liquid to start boiling. Once it does, that would be your sign to toss in banana blossoms. 

4. Getting the pork tender

Then adjust your heat to a simmer. We will once again cover the pot, and continue cooking. Just do so until the pork tenderizes.

5. Adding salted black beans, brown sugar and bananas

Let’s grab our salted black beans and brown sugar. Place them in the pot as well, and just continue cooking for 2 minutes. After this, you can also add your bananas, and cook them for 5 minutes. When you’ve finished the cooking, all that’s left is to sprinkle in some ground black pepper.

How to Serve Pork Humba

And that’s how you make a fragrant, delicious plate of Pork Humba! All that’s left to do now is to transfer the humba to a plate, bowl or other container of choice. And I would suggest having this with some white rice, which would help balance out the strong flavor of the pork.

How to Store Pork Humba

It’s completely understandable if you are unable to eat all of your Pork Humba. After all, this recipe does make a good deal of servings. But you may want to store this in an airtight container to make sure it would last longer. Then keep the container in the refrigerator so it could stay safe for eating for about 3 days more. But take note of when you started refrigerating this so there would be no danger of eating spoiled food.

Can you Freeze Pork Humba?

Thankfully, you can stretch the shelf life of your Pork Humba for months! You can do this by freezing the dish. Just place your humba in a freezer-safe container or bag. Then put this in your freezer where it can last for around 2 months more. Just make sure to let this thaw before reheating, and eating this. 

Confused about any part of this recipe? Don’t worry since that’s what our comments section is for! Simply comment all queries below so I could answer them. And for more yummy pork recipes, you can use our handy search bar on the website. Feel free to scroll around Panlasang Pinoy as well if you are curious about other delicious Filipino dishes! We’ve got a wide selection right here for all Pinoy food enthusiasts like you!