5 Filipino Dishes You'd Love Grilled
Recently, an article on Bloomberg talked about Filipino Food becoming the next big thing in the restaurant scene. And we're not talking "balut" here. There's more to Filipino food than just the fertilized duck egg that seems to always be featured in the World's Freakiest Foods. In fact, it is actually a fusion of the different cuisines that have shaped the country's food culture into what it is today. If you want to try out some of the delicious dishes that are pushing this cuisine to the top of the foodie list, you might be glad to know that there are several dishes you can try cooking on the grill. And we've found just the recipes that you should try.
#1: Grilled Pork BBQ
You might think that this isn't a Filipino dish since Americans have been grilling pork on skewers since time immemorial. That's where you'd be wrong. This grilled pork bbq is nothing like you've ever tasted and it's all because of the marinade. Your hickory barbecue sauce might well become a long-forgotten recipe once you taste this one. To make this babies taste even better, Filipinos often use the original marinade as a basting sauce which ensures that the meat stays tender, juicy, and tasty. Just make sure to heat the remaining marinade enough to kill off any bacteria that came from the raw meat. For those using raclette grills, you might like to know that the trays for melting cheese are also excellent containers for heating the leftover marinade while you baste the meat roasting above. Here's a sample recipe you might want to try. 
#2: Grilled Stuffed Squid
Stuffed squid isn't anything new. In fact, you'll find loads of recipes for it online. However, Filipinos tend to do theirs a bit differently. Unlike most other recipes that call for dill, parsley, breadcrumbs, cheese, and other numerous ingredients, Filipinos went with the basics – chopped tomatoes and onions that have been marinated in fish sauce. The squid also has its own marinade which you can also use for basting but it's mostly a mixture of lemon juice, pepper, and soy sauce. Once cooked, the squid is served with a dipping sauce made out of soy sauce, chili peppers, a bit of sugar, and some lime/lemon juice. Want to try it out? Here's a recipe you can follow. 
#3: Grilled Chicken Adobo
If you've ever heard of Filipino cuisine, then you probably know all about adobo. It is, after all, one of the dishes that the country is well-known for. There are several variations to this dish, depending on the region, but all of them have the same base ingredients – soy sauce and vinegar mixed with garlic and peppercorns. The meat can be pork, chicken, or a mixture of both. For this grilled dish, chicken is the recommended source of protein. Before you can start grilling though, you'll need to cook the chicken in a pot along with the base ingredients. Once the adobo is done, heat up the grill and give the chicken a bit of crunch and char for added flavor. Try this dish by following the instructions here. 
#4: Chicken Inasal (Grilled Chicken)
Grilled chicken isn't anything special. We see it all the time in the backyards of many Americans. So what makes this so uniquely Filipino? In the Visayas region of the Philippines, grilled chicken is flavored with some vinegar, lime, lemongrass, annatto seeds oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. The seasonings used give it a very distinct flavor and color (slightly orange). It's served with garlic rice with a dipping sauce made of vinegar and soy sauce. We found a recipe for this grilled chicken here.
#5: Isaw (Grilled Pork/Chicken Intestines)
We couldn't end this list without something memorable, could we? Here we have what Filipinos call "isaw" which is grilled chicken or pork intestines that is commonly found along the streets of Manila. The intestines are basted in a sauce made up of cooking oil, banana ketchup, and soy sauce while it is cooked to give it a sweet flavor. Locals eat this deliciously unusual treat by dipping it in vinegar mixed with chopped garlic, chili pepper, and onions. If you're willing to try this truly unique dish, you can follow the recipe here.