Chicken to the Ready

• Chicken tenders, boneless and skinless chicken breasts and thighs can replace the pork in Filipino barbecue sticks. Cut the chicken into thin strips about 1 inch wide, 1/2 inch thick and 4 to 6 inches long. The thighs can be a little thicker and will definitely be shorter. Some pinoy pork barbecue is cut into chunks more like kebabs, which works well for thigh meat. Remove any visible fat.

Secret Sauce

• You've heard of ketchup, but you may not have of banana ketchup. It's the key ingredient in the sauce for the barbecue sticks, along with lemon-lime soda. Banana ketchup, sometimes called banana sauce, is available at specialty retail and ethnic grocers as well as online. Combine one part lemon-lime soda with one part each soy sauce and sugar. Add a handful of chopped hot peppers or a good splash of hot sauce and one or two heads -- not cloves -- of smashed garlic. Reserve enough marinade to baste them when grilling. Toss in the chicken and marinate overnight.

Get Grilling

• Grilling caramelizes the sugar in the marinade and gives the chicken a rich, reddish-brown color. Thread the chicken slices onto wood skewers. Brush on the reserved marinade banana ketchup mixture as you grill over medium-hot coals about three to four minutes per side. The thin slices will cook more quickly than pork. When you think one is done, slice it. There should be no pink and any juices should run clear.

Take a Dip

• A vinegary dipping sauce is served with the pork barbecue. The vinegar cuts through the fattiness of the pork. Since the chicken is lean, you don't have to have the dipping sauce. However, if you want to stay authentic, combine vinegar -- white or apple cider -- with equal parts chopped onions, garlic and hot peppers, and salt and pepper to taste.