Crispy Lechon Pork Belly Roll is no doubt every Filipino’s guilty pleasure. If there is one food that tastes so good but at the same time not too good for our body, this must be it.
The Philippines is a very religious country. More than half of the population is Roman Catholic, which was actually a result of the Spanish colonization in the country that happened hundreds of years ago. Filipinos embraced the religion though, and they kept the tradition and all the expensively built churches all around the country.
This is the reason why there are a lot of festivities happening in the country, each saint has its own celebration and festivals and they all have different themes too. But one thing is similar for all these religious feasts - food! And one dish that never goes missing, as much as possible, is the lechon or roasted pork.
There are many Philippine provinces that are known to have experts when it comes to the dish, Cebu is one of them. Today, it is easy to get yourself the roasted goods since several restaurants are selling them and you can actually make one by yourself too.
It is acceptable to eat such food for special occasions, but if you plan to serve it to your family on a regular basis, you have to think twice. Sure, pork has health benefits, but once someone eats too much, it may lead to health complications. You can divulge on it occasionally but at the same time be mindful of the consumption.
How to Cook Crispy Lechon Pork Belly Roll
The traditional Filipino lechon is usually made by slowly roasting a whole pig, but they are too expensive as they cost thousands of pesos. So, how can we enjoy this tasty delicacy without spending all our money in the bank? Right, by getting the most delicious portion and making it more delicious instead, thus the pork belly was taken from the pig and was then made into the irresistible Pinoy lechon.
- First, poke holes on the pork skin using small knife or fork. I had to ask my husband to do it for me because I thought the skin is too thick and he is stronger than me.
- Season the meat with pepper and salt. Then, spread the stuffings such as garlic, onion, spring onion and lemon grass.
- Roll the pork belly tightly and tie at least 5-6 knots to secure the stuffings from falling apart.
- I spread soy sauce and vegetable all over the skin and refrigerate it overnight, leaving it uncovered.
- The following day, I put the left-over stuffings in a deep baking tray or roasting pan. Added the star anise, bay leaves and 2 cups of water. Put it at the bottom of the oven. You may need to add more water later on. Make sure this won't dry up.
I know it’s hard to resist it once Crispy Lechon Pork Belly Roll is served on the table, so go on and enjoy the crispy skin and the juicy meat. Not to mention the tasty belly fat that makes it more irresistible, can anyone say no to that?
Tips
- Buy the largest boneless pork belly slab you can get.
- Poke holes on the pork skin so it will become crispy.
- Do not put too much stuffing, it will be difficult to roll and tie when you have a lot of stuffings.
- Refrigerate the meat overnight with the stuffings, leave it uncover and the skin should dry up. This process will make your lechon super crunchy.
- Combine water with the left-over stuffings and put it at the bottom of the roasting pork. This will give moist to the meat so it won't dry up.
- Brush soy sauce and vegetable oil into the skin of the meat to achieve the crunchy and crisp
Recipe
Crispy Lechon Pork Belly Roll Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 kg pork belly boneless
- 2 tbsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp salt or more as needed
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 bunch spring onion chopped
- 2 stalks lemon grass chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 pcs bay leaves
- 3 pcs star anise
Instructions
- Using a fork or a knife, poke holes into the skin without piercing the meat.
- Place the pork belly skin side down on a flat working surface. Season it with ground black pepper and salt, while massaging the meat.
- Add the garlic, onion, spring onion and lemon grass, spread it all over the meat. Do not over-do the stuffing to make it easier to roll.
- Tightly roll the pork belly into a log and secure it with kitchen twine by tying up to 5 to 6 knots.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and vegetable oil. Then, rub it into the pork roll. Refrigerate overnight without any cover.
- Pre-heat oven to 120° C or 248 °F. Take out the pork belly roll from the fridge and wrap it with aluminum foil.
- Using a deep baking tray or roasting pan, combine the remaining stuffings, bay leaves, star anise and 2 cups of water. Place it at the bottom of the oven.
- Place the wrapped pork belly roll inside the pre-heated oven and bake it 1 ½ to 2 hours at 120° C or 248 °F.
- Remove the aluminum foil wrap and increase the temperature to 180° C or 350 °F. Cook for another 3 hours.
- To make it crispier, increase the temperate again to 200° C or 390 °F and cook for another 40 to 60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
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