Skip to main content
LoginSign Up
Sweet Soy–Braised Pork (Babi Kecap)

Sweet Soy–Braised Pork (Babi Kecap)

By Rose HattabaughAugust 10, 2020

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    1½ hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    50 minutes active
  • Rating

This savory-sweet braised pork, called babi kecap, is a celebratory dish from Bali, the only Hindu-majority province in the Muslim-majority country of Indonesia. In traditional recipes, kecap manis, or Indonesian sweet soy sauce, supplies rich, dark color as well as salty-sweet notes; we approximate the flavor with a combination of regular soy sauce, molasses and brown sugar. Pork belly or neck often is the cut of choice for babi kecap, but we opted for easier to find but equally tasty pork shoulder or butt. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and sambal, if you wish to add a little heat at the table.

Tip

Don’t use blackstrap molasses; it’s strong, bitter flavor will overpower the dish. Opt for either light/mild or robust/full-flavored molasses.

Ingredients
  • 3

    tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided

  • 2

    tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger

  • 3

    medium garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated

  • Ground black pepper

  • 2

    pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks

  • ¼

    cup soy sauce

  • ¼

    cup molasses

  • ¼

    cup packed light or dark brown sugar

  • 2

    serrano chilies, stemmed and thinly sliced

  • 3

    large shallots, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 1

    tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve

  • ½

    cup lightly packed fresh cilantro

Step 1

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of oil, the ginger, garlic and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the pork and stir until evenly coated; set aside. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine ¾ cup water, the soy sauce, molasses, sugar and half of the chilies; stir well.

Step 2

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until barely smoking. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the pork mixture and cook, stirring often, until the meat is no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the soy-molasses mixture, then bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to medium and cook at a gentle simmer, until a skewer inserted into the pork meets no resistance, about 35 minutes.

Step 3

Remove the skillet from the heat. Uncover and use a wide spoon to skim off and discard as much fat as possible from the surface.

Return to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until a spatula drawn through the liquid leaves a trail and sauce clings lightly to the pork, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in the lime juice. Serve sprinkled with the cilantro, the remaining chilies and with lime wedges on the side.

Featured in