Grilled – Bulalo Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Make the brine

In a large pot, combine 4 l cold water, kosher salt, and brown sugar. Warm gently just to dissolve salt and sugar, then cool completely to room temperature (chill if necessary).

Aromatics for brine

Add crushed lemongrass stalks, smashed garlic cloves, black peppercorns and bay leaves to the cooled brine. Stir in lemon zest. Allow the brine to infuse for 30 minutes at room temperature, then chill briefly until cold.

Brine the pork belly

Submerge the pork belly, skin-side up if possible, in the cold brine. Refrigerate and brine for 12–18 hours for full flavor and moisture. Turn the pork once halfway through to ensure even brining.

Dry and season

Remove pork belly from brine, discard brine and aromatics. Rinse quickly under cold water, pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Place on a rack in the refrigerator uncovered for 2–4 hours to dry the skin — this helps achieve crispness. Rub a thin coat of oil over the skin and score with a shallow crosshatch (optional).

Grill and crisp

Preheat grill for indirect medium heat (about 180–200°C or 350–400°F). Place pork belly skin-side away from direct flame over the cooler side to cook through, skin-side up. Grill covered for 40–60 minutes until internal temperature reaches 70–75°C (160–167°F) and meat is tender. Move to direct heat, skin-side over hot coals or flameseared for 5–10 minutes, turning as needed, to puff and crisp the skin. Watch to avoid burning.

Finish glaze

Mix soy sauce and honey. In the last 5 minutes of grilling, brush a light coat of the glaze onto the meat side (not the skin) to add color and flavor. Rest the pork belly 10–15 minutes, then slice into bite-sized pieces for the soup and larger pieces for serving.

Prepare stock

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, combine beef shank with bone, pork neck or trimmings, whole black peppercorns, halved onion, smashed garlic and ginger. Add 2.5 l cold water. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to a low simmer. Skim foam and impurities for the first 10–15 minutes to keep broth clear.

Simmer for collagen and flavor

Simmer gently, partially covered, for 1.5–2 hours until beef is very tender and the broth is flavorful and slightly gelatinous. Check occasionally and skim if needed.

Add pumpkin and corn

Add pumpkin cubes and corn pieces to the pot. Continue simmering for 15–20 minutes until pumpkin is tender but not completely broken down (it should hold shape).

Incorporate grilled pork

Add 250 g sliced grilled lechon pork belly to the simmering soup 5–8 minutes before finishing. This warms and imparts roasted pork flavor to the broth without overcooking the pork.

Season and add vegetables

Season the soup with fish sauce and salt to taste. Add trimmed green beans and chopped bok choy; simmer 2–3 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp. Taste and adjust seasoning (add up to 1 more tablespoon fish sauce or more salt if needed).

Finish and assemble

Ladle soup into bowls making sure each bowl gets a bone piece, pumpkin, corn, greens and slices of grilled pork belly. Top with chopped scallions and optional pork cracklings for textural contrast. Serve with lime or calamansi wedges on the side for squeezing.

Make the oil

In a small saucepan, warm 60 ml neutral oil over low heat until just warm (do not smoke). Remove from heat and stir in minced lemongrass, lemon zest and salt. Let infuse 10 minutes to extract aroma, strain if desired.

Drizzle a teaspoon of this aromatic oil over each bowl of soup just before serving to brighten the flavors and echo the lemongrass note from the pork brine.