Crispy Pork Belly (Lechon Kawali)

Photo: Skip To Malou

Ingredients

2 pounds Pork belly

salt and pepper

4 cloves garlic

2 stalks of lemongrass

3 bay leaves

Preparation

Pound the lemongrass. Make sure to get the juices out. Rub it on to the pork. Mince the garlic and mix it together with salt and pepper. Rub it on to the pork . Roll the pork belly and stuff some garlic salt , pepper and lemon grass. Secure it with strings.

Boil the pork and throw in some bay leaves and peppercorns to add more flavor. Boil it for about an hour or until the skin is tender. Some hang it to dry. I just put mine in the refrigerator until I am ready to cook it, usually the following day. Make sure to bring the pork out an hour before cooking.

Now here’s the twist. Usually back home, the pre-boiled pork gets submerged in a pot full of oil and deep fried on high heat. That’s why it’s called Lechon Kawali coming from kawali which is pan or wok. But I am not too keen on deep frying, not just because of health issues (as if the pork belly is healthy-- haha!) but because of fear of oil splattering and me having to call 911…

Bake it at 375F in an oven, or in my case, the turbo broiler for about an hour or until very crispy. When you hear the skin crackling, voila, it’s done! I didn’t have to slave away to satisfy my cravings.

Let it cool before chopping. You could enjoy your crispy pork belly with your favorite dipping sauce but my favorite is vinegar and soy sauce with chopped onions and garlic. ENJOY!

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About

In the Philippines, Lechon (roast pig) is a party staple, but a good substitute is lechon kawali (crispy pork belly). It’s usually carved as an appetizer or an entree in itself. It’s best enjoyed when dipped in soy sauce and vinegar or with a lechon sauce (liver pate sauce). Most of us dread frying, especially large chunks of meat. So I cooked the pork belly in a turbo broiler, so it’s sans frying (a healthier way to cook Filipino food!)

you could see original post at http://www.skiptomalou.net/2010/05/all-aboard-reality-train-i-toast-to.html

This was also featured in New Asian Cuisine http://newasiancuisine.com/6010-lechon-kawali-crispy-pork-belly.html