How to Make Perfectly Crispy Pork Liempo in a Turbo Broiler

Crispy liempo or crispy pork belly is a classic Filipino dish that’s a must-try for any pork lover. When cooked properly, liempo develops an irresistible crispy skin covering tender and flavorful meat underneath.

The key to getting the perfect crispy texture is using a turbo broiler. This high-heat oven allows the pork skin to bubble up and become crunchy and golden brown.

In this article I’ll explain everything you need to know to cook liempo in a turbo broiler. With just a few simple steps you’ll have restaurant-quality crispy pork belly to enjoy at home. Let’s get cooking!

What is Liempo?

Liempo refers to pork belly or pork side. It’s a cut of fatty pork that contains layers of meat and fat.

When preparing liempo, the skin and fat are left intact. This allows the skin to rendered and become super crispy during cooking.

The Filipino version of liempo is heavily seasoned and then broiled at high heat. This results in crunchy crackling skin with tender and juicy meat below.

Benefits of a Turbo Broiler for Liempo

A standard oven can’t achieve the level of crispiness that a turbo broiler can. Turbo broilers reach extremely high temperatures, up to 500°F.

This intense direct heat from both the top and bottom crisps up and caramelizes the fatty pork skin. Just like deep frying but without all the oil.

The convection fan in a turbo broiler circulates hot air around the pork for even cooking. And the closed design traps in heat and moisture.

Turbo broilers cook the meat faster than a traditional oven. Liempo can go from raw to perfectly crispy in just 30-45 minutes.

So for crackling pork skin and moist meat, a turbo broiler is the way to go. Let’s get to the recipe!

Ingredients for Liempo

• Pork belly – Choose skin-on, about 2-3 pounds for 4 servings
• Salt – For seasoning the meat
• Garlic – Minced or crushed garlic flavors the pork
• Olive oil – Binds the seasoning to the meat

Step-by-Step Liempo Recipe

Follow my simple process for perfectly cooked crispy liempo pork belly every time:

Prep the Pork

• Choose skin-on pork belly slabs about 2-3 pounds total
• Score the skin by poking holes with a skewer or meat tenderizer. This helps render the fat.
• Rub salt generously all over the pork skin and meat. Let sit 10 minutes.

Marinate the Pork

• In a small bowl, mix olive oil and lots of crushed garlic.
• Rub the garlic-oil mixture all over the pork, especially the skin.
• Marinate at least 1 hour up to overnight for more flavor.

Cook in the Turbo Broiler

• Remove the garlic bits from the pork skin (they will burn).
• Place pork skin-side up in the turbo broiler preheated to ~365°F.
• Cook for 45 minutes, checking occasionally, until skin is bubbly and golden brown.
• Optional: Flip and cook meat-side up for 5-10 minutes at the end.

Serving Suggestions

The crispy pork belly is delicious as is, but here are some serving ideas:

• Chop into pieces and enjoy with rice and marinated vegetables
• Slice thinly and add to garlic fried rice or egg fried rice
• Dice up and toss with veggies and oyster sauce over rice noodles
• Top a green salad with crispy liempo bits
• Stuff into tacos or burritos along with salsa and cheese

Crispy liempo also pairs well with vinegar-based dipping sauces. Some options are chili garlic vinegar, soy sauce with calamansi lime, or the classic Filipino lechon sauce.

Tips for Perfect Liempo

Follow these tips for the best results when cooking crispy pork belly:

• Choose pork belly with lots of fat and skin – this is key for crisping up
• Poke skin thoroughly before cooking so the fat can render
• Let sit at least 1 hour after seasoning to penetrate meat
• Use crushed or minced garlic rather than slices
• Cook at 500°F if your broiler goes that high
• Keep a close eye on it when cooking and flip as needed

Make Absolutely Crispy Liempo Tonight

Crispy liempo is easy to make at home with the right equipment. A turbo broiler is the key to getting that perfectly crackly skin and tender juicy meat in less than an hour.