Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (2024)

BY :Bebs | Published: | Updated: | 13 Comments

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4.94 from 15 votes

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Delicious braised pork belly with savory-sweet soy-vinegar sauce with a distinguishing taste of tausi cooked until tender. Pork Humba is another Filipino dish to try!

Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (1)

  • What is Pork Humba?
  • What is in Humba?
  • Printable Recipe
  • Pork Humba

What is Pork Humba?

Humba is a Filipino braised pork dish that is very popular in the Visayan and southern regions. Said to be a derivative of the Chinese Hong-ba (also Hong-Shao-Rou or Red Braised Pork Belly). It is believed that it was introduced by Chinese immigrants and was adaptedby our Visaya folks. They replaced some of the ingredients like Shaoxing wine and five-spices with what is more easily found locally. Ginger is also omitted and instead, tausi is used.

Like any others, there are different manners of cooking this dish. Some people would marinate the meat first before searing. Others would skip the searing part entirely.

Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (2)

Adobo Vs. Humba

Humba or sometimes homba is usually likened to the Adobo. They are both cooked with soy sauce and vinegar. Humba, however, has a mildly sweet take from the addition of brown or muscovado sugar and/or pineapple.

Another difference is the way they are cooked. Unlike Adobo, that you just put together and simmer until sauce thickens, Humba is cooked using the braising technique. The pork belly which usually has a good amount of fats is first seared to render the fats. It will then be simmered in liquids and spices.

Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (3)

What is in Humba?

Meat- It is normally made with pork and the most common cut used is the belly or liempo. Pork leg, hocks, and sometimes shoulder are also used. Hard-boiled eggs are also sometimes added.

Braising liquid- Soy sauce, vinegar, and water are used for braising the meat. Pineapple juice is also sometimes added while some use soda (Sprite or 7-up).

Spices- Like Adobo, it also has bay leaves, peppercorn, garlic, and onions. Another thing that sets them apart is the added tausi (fermented black beans), which is a must ingredient. Banana blossoms are also added optionally so as pineapple bits.

Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (4)

Printable Recipe

Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (5)

Print Review

Pork Humba

4.94 from 15 votes

A Filipino braised pork belly dish with sweet-savory soy-vinegar sauce. Made more flavorful by adding black fermented beans (tausi) and banana blossoms.

Print Recipe Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 tablspoons oil
  • 1.5 pounds pork belly - cut into 1x2-inch sizes -see NOTE 1
  • 4 cloves garlic -minced
  • 1 medium red onion - chopped
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup vinegar
  • 2 cups water - add more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon peppercorn
  • 2 pieces bay leaves
  • ¼ cup dried banana blossoms (optional)
  • ¼ cup fermented black beans (tausi) - see NOTE 2
  • ½ cup pineapple tidbits - liquids included (optional)
  • 3 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sear pork belly until lightly browned and fats are rendered. Set fried pork aside. Remove excess oil from the pot and leave just about 2 tablespoons.

  • In the same pot, saute garlic until golden and aromatic. Add back the pork belly and stir.

  • Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 40-50 minutes or until pork is tender. Add more water if needed until meat is fork-tender.

  • Remove the cover and continue to simmer until liquid is reduced to a thick sauce.

  • Transfer to a serving dish and serve with plain rice.

Notes

  • NOTE 1 : If pork belly has a lot of fat, separate the fatty part from the leaner part. Sear the fatty part first to render the fats. Sear the leaner meat for shorter time so it will not dry up and become chewy.
  • NOTE 2: If using dried fermented black beans, soak it a bit and rinse before adding as it may be too salty. If using the canned ones with liquid, drain the liquid.

Nutrition

Calories: 1013kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 23gFat: 93gSaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 1469mgPotassium: 561mgFiber: 4gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 75IUVitamin C: 6.5mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 10.4mg

Have you tried this recipe?Mention @foxyfolksy or tag #FoxyFolksyRecipes!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    What do you think?

  1. Georgia says

    Hi there, what kind of vinegar is required for this recipe??

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      We normally use cane vinegar but you could use any.

      Reply

  2. Ivy says

    Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (18)
    Made this today and absolutely the best humba recipe I've tried. A plus, thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Awww...thank you for the awesome review, Ivy!

      Reply

  3. Pepito Siaton says

    Very good Bisaya ang lasa. Ok ko ko

    Reply

  4. KuyaKen says

    Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (19)
    Excellent recipe! I used pineapple juice since I didn't have have the canned fruit. Next time I will swap one cup of water for another cup of pineapple juice. When I doubled the recipe I used one full can of fermented black beans which was about 1/2 a cup. Salamat po!

    Reply

  5. Amadeo says

    Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (20)
    Yummy recipe. Hope taste delicious too without banana
    blossoms and tausi (fermented black beans). Not available here.

    Reply

  6. Nik says

    Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (21)
    Sarap! Parang Adobo pero with a twist! Thanks for the Recipe! 🙂

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Glad you like it, Nik.

      Reply

  7. May says

    Wanna try all your recipes as possible. Thank you

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Go! go! go! Hope you like them all 😊.

      Reply

  8. John says

    Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (22)
    Love it having more tonight

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Thanks, for the stars John! Stay safe and well.

      Reply

Authentic Visayan Pork Humba Recipe - Foxy Folksy (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between adobo and Humba? ›

Although the two dishes resembles in terms of appearance, Humba is sweet, sour, and salty all at once in taste while Adobo is sour and salty. Humba uses all the basic ingredients of Adobo with the addition of brown sugar, salted black beans (tausi), and banana blossoms.

What is a Humba in Western Visayas? ›

Humbà, also spelled hombà, is a Filipino braised pork dish from Visayas, Philippines. It traditionally uses pork belly slow-cooked until very tender in soy sauce, vinegar, black peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, and fermented black beans (tausi) sweetened with muscovado sugar.

Where did Humba originated in the Philippines? ›

Humba (homba), which literally translates to tender (hum) pork (ba), is a Visayan braised pork dish similar to the classic adobo. It's said to have originated from the Chinese hong-bah/hong-mah, a red braised pork belly dish brought to the Visayas islands by Hokkien traders.

What is the meaning of Humba food? ›

Humba, the Visayan braised pork dish, has roots in Chinese cuisine. Historians believe its origins trace back to hong ba, or hong shao rou, meaning “red-cooked pork”: big slices of pork belly stewed in soy sauce, sugar, and spices.

Do Filipinos use adobo seasoning? ›

Philippine adobo (from Spanish adobar: "marinade," "sauce" or "seasoning" / English: /əˈdoʊboʊ/ Tagalog pronunciation: [ɐdobo]) is a popular Filipino dish and cooking process in Philippine cuisine.

What is the difference between Estofado and humba? ›

Estofado is a Filipino-Spanish dish featuring pork or chicken stewed in a tomato-based sauce with potatoes and carrots, while Humba is a traditional Filipino dish with Chinese influences, showcasing pork belly or hock cooked in a sweet and savory sauce often containing pineapple juice and fermented black beans, ...

Where is pork Humba originated? ›

Origin of humba

This meal was made famous on the Visayan Islands in the central Philippines. Some accounts say that the dish originated from the Visayas. Others say that Fujian Chinese settlers were the masterminds behind this delicacy and that the dish originates from Chinese red braised pork belly.

How to cook native Humba? ›

In a hot cooking pot, toss in your pork belly and let it cook until it browns. Add in the onion and garlic slices you have and cook, until your onions soften. Then, add in your 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, peppercorn, and bay leaves. Next, pour in 1 cup of pineapple juice and bring your humba to a boil.

What is the Tagalog of Humba? ›

Definition for the Tagalog word humba:

humbâ [noun] a Filipino braised pork dish from Visayas, Philippines.

What part of the meat is used in the Humba? ›

Pork Belly is the best pork cut for humba. It has the perfect (often not so) balance of fat and meat. Substituting it with leaner parts of the pork might be unwise. Humba wouldn't be “humba” without the soft gelatinous pork fat.

How long does Humba last in the fridge? ›

The meat in the adobo can also be replaced with fish, beef, and vegetables but humba recipes only use pork. What is the best way to store humba and how long does it last? Store in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for three days to a week or in the freezer for a month.

What is the difference between pata tim and Pata Humba? ›

Pata tim is soupy. The humba is really a braised dish. Since this is the way it's cooked, the humba is usually left with a small amount of sauce at the end of cooking that is naturally thickened because of the gelatin in the pork skin. The pata tim is more soupy in its final presentation.

How many days does Humba last? ›

The average person lives 27,375 days. Make each one count. Spend part of the year fishing in Canada or sailing in the Caribbean. Learn to cook or paint.

What do you eat with Humba? ›

Good to know: Some prefer to eat humba with steamed Chinese buns called cua pao (“koo-wah-pow,” or mantou elsewhere), which are perfect for mopping up every last drop of sauce. Sometimes “cua pao” actually refers to steamed, humba-filled buns.

Why do you love Humba? ›

Humba is a variation of pork adobo. It's salty-sweet, with just a little bit of acidity, and the meat is completely tender and full of flavor. This is going to be a little scary for us non-Filipinos, I know, but in order to really make this good you need to buy pork belly (pictured above).

What are the 2 versions of adobo? ›

Chicken adobo and pork adobo are two popular variations of adobo, a traditional Filipino dish that is made by braising meat in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and spices.

What's so special about Filipino adobo? ›

There's no doubt that adobo is a mainstay in Philippine cuisine — thanks to its complex flavours rooted from a simple vinegar-braised method, it's one of the most well-known gateway dishes that introduces foreigners to the curious and nuanced world of Filipino food.

What is the closest thing to adobo seasoning? ›

A suitable substitute for adobo seasoning is a blend of common spices, such as garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Alternatively, you can try using Cajun seasoning or mild curry powder to achieve a similar flavor profile.

What is the Filipino dish called adobo? ›

What is Filipino adobo? In the Philippines, which was claimed by the Spanish in 1521, adobo is most often a braise featuring vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns—the ratio of which is dictated by both your family's palate and your own.

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