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Babi Guling (Balinese Spit-Roasted Pork)

Name: Babi Guling (Balinese Spit-Roasted Pork)
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 4 h 45 min
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1 whole suckling pig (15-20 lbs); 8 shallots; 6 cloves garlic; 3-inch piece galangal; 2 tsp turmeric; 3 stalks lemongrass; 2 tsp coriander; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp shrimp paste; 3 tbsp coconut oil; 2 cups cassava leaves, blanched; 1 tbsp salt

Babi Guling (Balinese Spit-Roasted Pork) reads umami 8.5, richness 6.3 and salinity 4.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indonesian main, about 4 hr 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 9.7 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 1.6 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.6 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.2 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.9 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.5 · Richness 6.3 · Salinity 4.6 · Allium 4.3 · Marine & Briny 4.2 · Funk & Ferment 3.7 · Citrus 3.4 · Herbaceous 2.8 · Nutty 2.1 · Bitterness 1.9 · Earthy 1.8 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Floral 1.6 · Sweetness 1.4 · Heat 0.9 · Sourness 0.6 · Fruity 0.5

What's in it (12)

1 whole suckling pig (15-20 lbs)
8 shallots
6 cloves garlic
3-inch piece galangal
2 tsp turmeric
3 stalks lemongrass
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp shrimp paste
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 cups cassava leaves, blanched
1 tbsp salt

Time & effort: about 4 hr 45 min (45 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 174.5 kcal, 15.8 g protein, 11.5 g fat, 0.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Stuff the pig with spiced cassava leaves and rub the exterior with a turmeric-heavy spice paste.
Roast slowly on a bamboo spit over coconut husks, rotating constantly for several hours until the skin is perfectly crisp.
Serve with lawar and steamed rice.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Orecchiette — Italian-American
Mirliton and Shrimp Casserole — Cajun/Creole
Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells — Italian
Ayam Buah Keluak (Chicken with Fermented Black Nuts) — Peranakan
Spinach and Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells — Italian-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.