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Author:
Franco Salzillo
There’s nothing like lighting the coals for a barbecue on a hot summer day. Grilling is more than cooking. It’s an art form, and it’s also a social event — everyone around the fire waiting for that delicious, charred meat, that’s one good party right there.
The only question is, what will you grill today? My recommendation is Filipino BBQ sticks. These skewers are deliciously meaty and fatty, tender, and also sticky. Meat on a stick is the very definition of a satisfying meal. These are crowd-pleasers and just plain fun to eat.
We’ll start by visiting our local butcher for a carved pork shoulder. This recipe calls for 2 pounds, which is enough for a small crowd. Of course, you can always adjust the recipe for larger batches.
As you might already know, pork shoulder is a tough piece of meat, which means marinating it is a must. To be honest, you can marinate yours any way you like — just make sure you combine an acidic ingredient with your favorite aromatics.
To mimic Filipino’s flavors, I’m using freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic (you can also your powdered garlic) and 7-Up. Why 7-Up? I don’t know. They just do it this way in the Philippines, but it really makes the difference. You can substitute it with any lemon-lime soda.
Here’s a tip to remember the recipe for the glaze — it’s basically the same ingredients used for the marinade except for the lime soda.
The secret behind Filipino-inspired skewers? Basting the meat regularly while it cooks. Have your soy sauce and brown sugar mixture in hand and baste until the meat is cooked through. That’s the real reason these skewers are world famous; they’re so satisfyingly sticky!
Slice the meat in large bite-size chunks.
In a mixing bowl, add the meat, garlic, half a cup of lemon juice, half a cup of soy sauce, half a cup of sugar, and 7-up. Combine until completely incorporated.
Let the meat marinate for at least 30 minutes.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the rest of the soy sauce, lemon juice and brown sugar. Stir until combined — this is our glaze.
And assemble your skewers. Remember to soak your bamboo skewers in water before stacking the meat.
Light up the coal and char-grill the skewers while turning them often.
Baste the skewers with the soy sauce-sugar basting sauce every few minutes.
Once cooked through, golden brown and sticky, remove from heat and enjoy!
