Pork Belly Liempo: The Heart of Every Filipino Feast

Few dishes capture the spirit of Filipino cooking like pork belly liempo. Rich, juicy, and perfectly layered with flavor, liempo is that one cut that turns ordinary meals into something worth gathering around the table for. Whether grilled, roasted, or fried, it’s a true showcase of how simple ingredients can become extraordinary when treated with care.

The Cut That Defines Comfort

At its core, liempo is pure balance — equal parts tender meat and silky fat, layered just right. As it cooks, the fat slowly renders down, basting the pork naturally and creating that distinct melt-in-your-mouth tenderness Filipinos crave. The result? Golden, crispy edges, smoky depth, and a savory richness that needs nothing more than rice and sawsawan.

From Backyard to Banquet Table

Every Filipino family has a liempo memory. It’s the smell of charcoal on a Sunday afternoon. The crackle of skin in a pan of hot oil. The sizzle of fat dripping onto open flames.
But beyond nostalgia, liempo continues to evolve. It’s no longer just a backyard favorite — it’s finding its way into modern Filipino dining, gourmet menus, and even international tables.

Here are some ways liempo shines across kitchens:

Classic Inihaw (Grilled Liempo) – Marinated in soy, calamansi, and garlic, then grilled until smoky and caramelized.

Crispy Belly Roast – Oven-roasted to perfection with a shattering golden skin and succulent interior.

Liempo Adobo – Braised slowly in vinegar and soy sauce until the flavors meld into rich, dark perfection.

Asian Fusion Liempo – Glazed with honey, chili, or gochujang for a sweet-spicy upgrade that pairs beautifully with rice bowls.

A Cut Made for Creativity

Pork belly liempo adapts easily to your style — it’s comfort food that invites experimentation. You can cube it for stir-fries, slice it thin for samgyupsal-style grilling, or slow-cook it into a melt-in-your-mouth kare-kare. Whatever your flavor preference, liempo welcomes it.

The secret? Start with quality pork belly — firm, fresh, and beautifully marbled. Everything else builds from there.

A Taste That Brings People Together

At The Fat Butcher PH, liempo isn’t just another cut — it’s a celebration of Filipino flavor. It’s the sound of laughter by the grill, the aroma of soy and calamansi in the air, and the satisfaction of that first crispy bite shared among family and friends.