Babi Guling (Suckling Pork)

Sep 9, 2017
2 min read

For those new to Bali, when you see Babi Guling for the first time you may be curious what it is. It's literal translation is "suckling pork". And errmmm...don't go sucking the pork because it doesn't mean that. Ha ha ha!!!

Babi guling is one of Indonesia’s most delicious dishes. Pork is uncommon in this Muslim majority nation, but we had to include this special suckling pork dishes given the near hysteria it generates on the Hindu island of Bali. Tender and delicious with perfect crackling, the pigs roasted in Bali often weigh between 6 - 8 kilograms. The traditional method of making this dish is to rub the cavity with a mixture of spices and sometimes tapioca leaves. After that rub the skin with turmeric juice before roasting the pork.

My version of this recipe is much more easier to cook at home by using any cut of pork with the skin left on from your local shopping market . This option allows those to cook it when you don't have a spit lying around at home!

INGREDIENTS:

2.5 kg piece pork belly with skin
1½ tablespoon salt
5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
2 dried salam leaves, crumbled (optional)
50 g finely grated fresh turmeric (or 1 tbsp ground dried turmeric) mixed with 125ml water, strained, solids discarded

Spice paste

80 g fresh turmeric, coarsely chopped
12 birdseye chillies, finely chopped
8 golden shallots, coarsely chopped
5 large garlic cloves
2 large lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped
10 g (2cm piece) ginger, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, finely crushed
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped galangal
1 teaspoon ground kencur

COOKING GUIDE:

**Prep time 30 mins, cook 2 hrs (plus marinating, resting, drying)** 1. Rub pork belly skin and meat with salt, and set aside. 2. For spice paste, process ingredients and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt in a food processor until a fine paste forms. 3. Place pork skin-side down on a work surface. Spread over spice paste, sprinkle lime leaves and salam leaves along one long side, then roll to form a long cylinder. Secure with satay sticks or tie at intervals with kitchen string. Brush rind with turmeric juice and leave to marinate in a draughty cool place to dry skin (30 minutes). 4. Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan forced. Place pork on a rack in a baking dish and roast until skin crackles (30 minutes), then reduce oven to 175°C / 155°C and baste occasionally with pan juices until juices run clear when the thickest part of the pork is pierced with a skewer (1-1½ hours).