The Best Pork Kinalas Recipe

With every bite of this best ever pork kinalas recipe, you will be blown away. Kinalas is a hearty noodle dish bathed in a flavorful pork headstock. It is then topped with thick brown gravy sauce, toasted garlic bits, spring onions, lemon wedge, and, the star of the show, scraped pork head meat. It’s like a party in your mouth with every slurp! 

There’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of noodle soup on cold days. Today’s pork kinalas is one of those local noodle soup specialties in the Philippines that always get raved reviews from its regulars.

If Iloilo has Batchoy, and Manila has Mami, then Bicol’s Naga City has Kinalas. 

Although this dish may not have spread throughout the archipelago, for Nagaueños, it’s a staple and a favorite among many – even to those who’ve found new homes abroad.

What is Pork Kinalas? 

Kinalas is probably mistaken for Beef Mami – a noodle dish that most Filipinos are familiar with – at first glance. Probably similar enough, except that kinalas has a brown gravy sauce or “sarsa” sitting atop the noodles.

The word “kinalas” comes from the Bicolano verb kalas, meaning “to separate meat from bones”. Without a doubt, this dish is truly fall-off-the-bone delicious! 

Pork Kinalas Recipe vs Batchoy vs Mami

With the Philippines having thousands of islands, it’s no surprise that noodle soup could come in various forms. If you’ve heard of Batchoy, Mami, and the likes, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell them apart at first glance.

So to shed some light, here are the main differences between those three that you should know.

Origin 

Kinalas is a Bicolano specialty that got its name from the way meat is scraped off the pork’s head and used as toppings.

Batchoy on the other hand hails from La Paz, Iloilo, and is said to come from a Hokkien Chinese word “bah-chui” which translates to meat shop. 

For Mami noodles, it was said to be a creation of Chinese immigrant Ma Mon Luk who sold this popular noodle dish on the streets. Mami literally means “Ma’s noodles”. 

The Broth 

Let’s talk about the very base for these noodle soups – the broth. 

All three noodle dishes come with a flavorful homemade broth to soak the pancit. Kinalas use beef or pork head as the base for its broth, while batchoy uses innards like heart, liver, and kidneys.

If those exotic meat parts don’t excite you a bit, then mami noodle soup could be your go-to as it uses regular meat cuts like brisket. 

Noodle Toppings 

You’ve probably noticed by now that Filipino noodle soups have a lot going on when it comes to its toppings. 

The usual toppings include chopped spring onions, toasted garlic, hard-boiled egg, calamansi, chili, and whatever meat was used in making the broth. 

In some instances, sliced cabbage and carrots are thrown in on top of a mami noodle soup, while batchoy has crushed pork cracklings or chicharon for some crunch. 

But not with this pork kinalas recipe. 

Along with some of those listed above, it comes with a thick flavorful brown gravy served on top or on the side. This is what sets pork kinalas apart. 

Kinalas Brown Gravy 

My special kinalas brown gravy recipe is as simple as it gets – nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it uses only six (6) simple ingredients with pork cube and soy sauce as the main seasonings.

Others would include shrimp stock and ground dried shrimps or hibe as flavor enhancers. I didn’t use those because I wanted the rich flavor of pork head broth to stand out above everything else. 

Can I Use Other Pork Cuts?

Yes, you can use other pork cuts. You can use the leg or meaty part, but I highly recommend using pork (or beef) bones, also called buto-buto, as it adds more flavor to the broth compared to other cuts.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

Store any leftover meat broth in an airtight container after it has cooled completely. Then keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, simply transfer it to a pot and heat over the stovetop until warmed through. 

The same instructions also apply to the special kinalas gravy. Just make sure to reheat the gravy over low heat while stirring often.

Ready to get cooking? Watch our video below before you gather all the ingredients. Enjoy!

More recipes to try:

• Special Arroz Caldo
• Sotanghon Guisado
• Seafoods Corn Soup

Print Recipe

Pork Kinalas Recipe

The word “kinalas” comes from the Bicolano verb kalas, meaning “to separate meat from bones”. Without a doubt, this dish is truly fall-off-the-bone delicious! 

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time2 hrs

Course: Snack, Soup

Cuisine: Filipino

Servings: 5

Ingredients

Pork Stock:

• 1/2 piece Pork head
• 5 pieces Bay leaves
• 1 piece Onion
• 10 cloves Garlic
• 1 tbsp Peppercorn
• 2 stalks Celery
• 1 tbsp Fish sauce
• 1 piece Pork cube

Sauce:

• 1 tbsp Garlic paste or crushed garlic
• 1 piece Onion
• 3 tbsp Flour
• 2 cups Water
• 1/2 tbsp Crushed pepper
• 1 piece Pork cube
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce

Toppings:

• 2 bulbs Garlic
• Spring Onion
• Scraped meat from the pork head
• Boiled eggs

Instructions

Making the Pork stock:

• In a large pot, put the pigs head, add bay leaves, whole onion & crushed garlic. Cover the pot and let boil for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the pig's meat is cooked and soft.
• Remove the scum using a strainer. Add celery stalks to add aromatic flavour (optional), fish sauce, and pork cube.

Making the toasted garlic Topping:

• In a pan. Heat oil and saute 2 bulbs of crushed garlic.
• When the garlic is golden brown in color, set aside and drain excess oil.

Making the Sauce:

• Saute onion.
• Add garlic paste or crushed garlic, flour, and give a good stir.
• Add water, crushed pepper, pork cube, and soy sauce. Give a good mix to prevent lumps from forming.
• Cook on low to medium heat to thicken the sauce.

Cooking Tips 

• Don’t forget to cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Then drain it well using a colander before placing it in individual serving bowls.
• I use high-grade flour which is often labeled as bread flour in most supermarkets. Feel free to swap it for all-purpose flour.
• Stir the brown gravy mixture frequently to prevent lumps.

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