Babi guling
Photo: Crisco 1492 · CC BY-SA 3.0

History

Babi guling, be guling in Balinese, is a piglet roasted whole while it is turned over a fire, its belly packed with spices and vegetables such as cassava leaves; guling means to roll or turn. It started as food for temple ceremonies and family rites, and the Gianyar area around Ubud is counted among the best places for it. Specialist warungs now sell it daily as a rice plate with lawar, crackling, urutan sausage and pork soup. It is pork (babi means pig), and the crackling often sells out by early afternoon.

Make it at home

Yield Serves 6Hands-on 30 minTotal 15 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 2kg skin-on pork belly
  • 10 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp ground turmeric, or 30g fresh
  • 3 tbsp ginger paste, or 40g fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp lemongrass paste, or 2 stalks
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 kaffir lime leaf, sliced
  • Fine salt: 1/2 tsp for the paste and a generous rub for the skin

Method

  1. Leave the pork belly uncovered in the fridge overnight, skin side up, so the skin dries out.
  2. Heat a fan oven to 200C.
  3. Blitz the chilli, shallots, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, peppercorns, turmeric, lemongrass paste, coriander seeds, ginger paste and oil to a smooth paste.
  4. Pat the skin dry and turn the belly skin side down. Scatter over the lime leaf, spread the paste evenly across the meat, roll tightly and tie with kitchen string every 3cm.
  5. Rub a generous amount of salt into the skin and leave the roll in a cool, dry place for 30 minutes.
  6. Roast on a tray for 30 minutes at 200C until the skin crackles, then lower the oven to 175C and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes more, until the centre reaches 75C.
  7. Rest for 10 minutes, then slice through the crackling and serve with rice, lawar and sambal.

Tip from the editors. A rolled belly stands in for the whole pig; the skin must be dry before it goes in, or it will not crackle.

Where to eat babi guling

Babi guling in Bali

Warung Babi Guling Pande Egi ★ 4.4

$ BalineseGianyar

Warung Babi Guling Pande Egi serves roast suckling pig with pork satay in an open-air room over rice fields at Beng near Gianyar town, Bali, until 21:00.

OrderOrder the babi guling spesial with pork satay, and add extra crispy skin if you want more crackling.

TipThe open-air room looks over paddy fields, and the spesial package costs about IDR 30,000 with meat, crispy skin, sausage, salad and vegetables.

Directions

Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka 3 ★ 3.9

$ BalineseUbud

Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka 3 serves babi guling in a long open room above a stream and trees on Jalan Tegal Sari in Ubud, Bali, from late morning to evening.

OrderOrder the babi guling plate with lawar and crackling, and arrive before one o'clock for the skin.

TipThis is the third Ibu Oka branch at the end of an alley on Jalan Tegal Sari. Bring cash, as reviewers report it takes cash only.

Directions

Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen ★ 4.2

$ BalineseSeminyak

Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen has served roast suckling pig with crisp skin, lawar and pork satay on Jalan Sunset Road in Seminyak, Bali, since the 1980s.

OrderOrder the babi guling plate with kuah balung broth, sate babi and lawar.

TipThe warung is about 20 to 25 minutes from the airport, a handy first meal after landing. A basic plate costs about IDR 40,000.

Directions

Warung Babi Guling Sari Dewi Pak Dobil ★ 4.1

$ BalineseNusa Dua

Warung Babi Guling Sari Dewi Pak Dobil sells crisp, well-spiced suckling pig sets on Jalan Srikandi in Benoa, near Nusa Dua, Bali, until mid-afternoon.

OrderOrder the big babi guling plate and ask for the broth, which regulars praise most.

TipOrder and pay at the counter, take a number and find a table. Arrive by 11:00 at the latest, before the day's pig is finished.

Directions

All Bali signature dishes →

More cities are in research. Want babi guling covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →