Smoked Filipino Roast Pork with Masterbuilt!
When it comes to cooking big, bold flavors, nothing beats smoked Filipino roast pork. This recipe takes a massive bone-in Boston butt and turns it into something truly unforgettable.
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With a mix of Filipino-inspired flavors and the ease of the Masterbuilt Smoker, it is a dish that blends tradition with modern convenience. The end result is smoky, tender, juicy pork that is perfect for a holiday table or a casual weekend feast.
Filipino Smoked Roast Pork
Equipment
- Masterbuilt Gravity Series Smoker Or Other Smoker
- Knife
- Cuttingboard
- Mallet
Ingredients
- 9 LB Bone-in Boston Butt Roast
- 3 tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt Estimated
- 3 tablespoon Dad Dust Estimated (See Note for Recipe)
- 3 tablespoon Black Pepper Estimated
- 3 tablespoon Calamansi Liquid Seasoning Estimated
- 2 Stalk Lemongrass
- 10 Garlic Cloves
- 1 White Onion
Instructions
Step 1: Prep the Roast
- Score the entire outside of a 9 lb bone-in Boston butt. Season it liberally with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, Dad Dust, and black pepper. Rub with calamansi liquid seasoning to help the spices stick.
Step 2: Stud with Aromatics
- Beat the thick part of lemongrass with a mallet and cut into chunks. Rough chop onion and prepare whole garlic cloves. Use a sharp knife to make holes in the roast and stud with garlic, lemongrass, and onion. Chill briefly in the fridge while setting up the smoker.
Step 3: Set Up the Smoker
- Load the Masterbuilt Smoker with charcoal and wood chunks, light with a fire starter, and set to 180°F. Place a container to catch juices and position the roast in the center of the smoker.
Step 4: Smoke and Spritz
- Spritz the roast with white vinegar every 30 minutes to keep it moist and enhance smoke flavor. Monitor internal temperature. Raise the smoker to 250°F as needed for time.
Step 5: Wrap and Finish
- When the roast reaches 160–170°F, wrap it. Increase heat to 350°F to finish. Remove when internal temp reaches 180°F. Unwrap and rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Step 6: Make the Sasawan Sauce
- While the roast cooks, mix rough chopped tomato, garlic, ¼ cup soy sauce, ½ cup white vinegar, and calamansi seasoning. Add optional spicy peppers. Let it mellow until serving.
Step 7: Slice and Serve
- Slice the rested roast, working around the bone. Serve with the tangy sasawan sauce and enjoy the smoky, tender lechon-style flavor.
Video
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!Why Smoked Filipino Roast Pork Stands Out
This pork is not your typical pulled pork. Instead, it is roasted to a perfect texture that holds together but is still tender and soft. The meat is studded with garlic, onion, and lemongrass, creating a lechon-style flavor that sets it apart from standard barbecue. Scoring the outside and packing in seasonings like kosher salt, Dad Dust, black pepper, and calamansi seasoning ensures every bite bursts with flavor. The balance between smoky bark on the outside and juicy meat inside makes this roast unique.
Another highlight is the sauce. Known as sasawan in Filipino cuisine, this dipping sauce combines fresh tomato, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and calamansi seasoning. It is tangy, sharp, and simple, but it elevates each bite of pork into something even more delicious. Everyone has their own family version, and this one shows how easy it is to make a batch while the pork smokes.
Cooking with the Masterbuilt Smoker
The Masterbuilt Smoker makes smoked Filipino roast pork more approachable than ever. Instead of hours of constant babysitting, the smoker provides a set it and forget it experience. Charcoal and wood chunks bring authentic smoke flavor, while the digital control lets you adjust temperatures with ease. At one point the temperature was even bumped up from the car while picking up a child from school. That kind of flexibility shows why the Masterbuilt is a game changer for home cooks who want authentic smoked flavor without losing an entire day to tending the fire.
Another advantage of the Masterbuilt is consistency. During the cook, the pork was spritzed with vinegar every thirty minutes. This kept it moist and helped the smoke cling to the meat. Over seven hours of cooking, the smoker held steady, letting the pork develop a deep smoke ring while maintaining juicy tenderness. Even when the roast needed to be wrapped and finished at a higher heat, the smoker handled the shift with ease.
Flavor and Texture
The final results speak for themselves. The pork reached 180 degrees Fahrenheit and rested for thirty minutes before slicing. The smoke ring was thick and beautiful, while the meat stayed tender without falling apart. This balance made it the perfect roast pork. When dipped into the sasawan sauce, it was described as an 11 out of 10. Soft, juicy, smoky, and packed with flavor, it is the kind of dish that makes you want to go back for seconds immediately.
The texture also highlights why roast pork can be even more enjoyable than pulled pork. It holds together on the plate, making each slice satisfying and easy to pair with the dipping sauce. This is lechon-style flavor without the need for a whole hog, and it works beautifully with the Boston butt cut.
Why You'll Want to Make This
Smoked Filipino roast pork is not just tasty, it is also practical. The Masterbuilt Smoker simplifies the process, making it possible to produce authentic flavor without constant monitoring. The flavors are bold and memorable thanks to the lemongrass, garlic, and calamansi seasoning. The dipping sauce adds another layer of excitement.
Even the challenges of cooking a bone-in roast were handled with ease. While slicing around the bone made things a little trickier, the flavor payoff made it completely worthwhile. The ease of controlling the smoker, spritzing with vinegar, and letting the roast cook for hours shows that this recipe is achievable even on a busy day.
Final Thoughts on Smoked Filipino Roast Pork
This recipe shows how Filipino-inspired flavors can shine on a smoker. With the Masterbuilt providing consistent heat and smoke, the pork developed perfectly balanced bark, tenderness, and juiciness. The use of garlic, onion, lemongrass, and calamansi made it feel authentically Filipino, while the dipping sauce tied everything together.
For anyone looking to try something different from standard barbecue, smoked Filipino roast pork is a must. It has all the comfort of slow cooked meat with the punch of unique flavors. It is versatile enough for a festive holiday meal or a casual weekend cook. And best of all, it proves that with the right smoker, you can pull off big flavors without making your entire day revolve around tending a fire.
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