Sweet, tangy, garlicky, and packed with so much flavor. Use as a marinade, basting, and even as a dipping sauce. This is my go-to recipe for making Filipino pork BBQ skewers, BBQ pork belly and BBQ pork ribs, and even BBQ chicken.This recipe makes about 2 1/4 cups of marinade. Use 1 1/4 cup to marinate 1 kilo (2 pounds) of meat and the remaining 1 cup to make the baste.
Place all marinade ingredients in a large mixing cup or bowl. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
5 cloves garlic, 1 cup / 1 mini can sprite or 7 up (7.5 oz), 1/3 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup vinegar, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 1/3 cup Filipino soy sauce, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp calamansi juice, ground black pepper, to taste
Pour 1 1/4 cup of marinade over the desired type of meat. Cover and refrigerate. Marinate for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
To make the baste/ sauce
Pour the remaining marinade into a small pot. Add ketchup and oil. Simmer over medium heat until it thickens into a thin gravy consistency. Stir frequently to prevent sugar from burning.
1 cup marinade recipe, 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 tbsp oil
Let it cool. Use as a baste for your favorite Filipino BBQ or dipping sauce.
Notes
Ketchup - you can use banana ketchup or tomato ketchup.
Vinegar - I recommend rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, and cane vinegar. All these are milder in taste and smell.
Soy sauce - if using regular soy sauce like Kikkoman, use 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp soy sauce.
Storage and shelf life - The uncooked marinade keeps well for 1 day in the refrigerator stored in an airtight glass jar. To extend the shelf-life simmer for 2 minutes, and let it cool. Transfer to an air-tight container and place it in the fridge. The homemade BBQ sauce (cooked marinade) keeps well in the refrigerator for about one month.
Nutrition per serving, assuming 1 kg/2lb pork which approximately makes 18 skewers. Sodium can be reduced by using less soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce. No meat was included in the calculation.