Fried pork belly is pretty easy to cook. There are different versions of burong liempo but this is how my relatives in Batangas prepare theirs as I recall. The common ingredient is pork and lots of salt. You can also use other cuts of meat, but choose the fatter cuts and preferably with the skin on.

"Buro" in Filipino means ferment. The pork in this version literally gets fermented in the vinegar and salt solution. The fermentation also serves to preserve and tenderize the meat. The garlic and the pepper add a fragrant and savory component to the fried pork.

Ingredients :

1/2 kg. thick cut pork belly (about 4-5 pieces)
2 tbsp. rock salt
1 tbsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup vinegar


Procedure :

1. Mix all ingredients together, make sure the pork is salted generously
2. Let pork marinade for at least 2 to 3 days before frying. You can let it ferment in a cool area of the kitchen or in the refrigerator but do not freeze it.
3. Fry pork in a pan with just enough oil to coat the bottom. The pork will start rendering a lot of fat once it fries. If you use a non stick pan then there is no need to use cooking oil.
4. Cook each side of the pork belly until light brown. You'll notice that your 1 inch thick liempo will shrink once it starts rendering fat. Don't let it get toasted too much.
5. Serve with your favorite dip and lots of plain rice.

Until next time!