Lechon Belly. Mouthwatering pork belly is a universal language, but nobody makes it like Filipino cooks! Have a bite of truly delicious pig roast flavor with this succulent Lechon Belly!
No matter your background everyone agrees on pork; it is luscious, rich, salty, and delicious, plus it’s easy to prepare. This wonderfully easy recipe unlocks the flavors of a traditional whole pig roast in a fraction of the time and space, so you can taste Filipino tradition right in your home kitchen!
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What is Lechon Belly?
Delicious Lechon Belly is a succulent and satisfying savory treat that’s great for every occasion! Eating lechon is a tradition around the world and means different things in different cultures. In Spain, Lechon is a whole roasted suckling pig, but in the Philippines “lechon” just refers to a whole pig roast.
Traditionally, Filipino big roasts will mark a big occasion or celebration and the slow roasting process can take an entire day. This beautiful recipe simplifies the process by using a delicious slab of pork belly and herbs to create that distinct pig roast flavor.
What Makes Lechon Belly so Great!?
- Irresistibly Crispy!
One of the best things about lechon is when the skin gets a satisfying crunchy texture. Although this recipe doesn’t use a whole pig, you still get the whole pig roast flavor, including the tantalizing crunch!
This recipe uses the oven broiler to create a crispy, delicious skin on the lechon roll that will make you want seconds. It’s a simple trick that produces a perfectly crispy pork belly every time!
- Popular at Parties!
Pork might just be the world’s favorite meat! It is succulent and full of flavor while still being easy to find and inexpensive, and everyone is happy to see this meat on the buffet table!
Pig roasts are popular at parties, and so is this much smaller version. This Lechon Belly roll can be sliced and served as a party snack or enjoyed as a weekend treat.
- Tradition Made Easy!
Everyone loves summer cookouts and in the Philippines sometimes that includes a pig roast. Roasting a whole pig takes effort, time, and dedication, but not this easy rendition. This delicious Lechon Belly has all the flavors of a traditional whole roasted pig, but with the simplicity and ease of cooking pork tenderloin.
Ingredients for Lechon Belly
- Pork Belly-A pork belly is the cut of meat from a pig’s belly. It has a thick skin that crisps wonderfully and the meat is fatty and full of rich pork flavor. This cut is usually easy to find in your grocery store’s butcher section, but if you have trouble ask the butcher!
- Green Onions-Green onions have the perfect texture and flavor to infuse this recipe with rich onion savor. They are rolled into the pork to create a gorgeous and tasty roll of lechon!
- Basil Leaves-Basil is an irresistibly aromatic and tasty herb. It enhances savory food with its mildly sweet herbal flavor. Fresh basil is the only choice for this recipe! Grab some from your kitchen garden or stop by the produce section of your favorite grocery store for a bundle.
- Garlic-Garlic is the ultimate secret ingredient. It has notes of savory, sweet, and botanical flavors that cannot be topped, plus who doesn’t love the smell of slow-cooking pork with garlic!? Fresh garlic is always best but jarred and frozen garlic will work as even substitutes.
- Iodized Salt-Plain iodized salt gives the meat flavor and a crispy exterior while delivering an essential nutrient.
- Ground Pepper-Ground pepper is a must to bring when cooking any kind of pig. It pairs wonderfully with the flavor of meat and brings out a nice pop of spice.
- Onion Powder-Onion powder brings a wonderfully onion-flavored punch to this dish and works with the other elements in the spice rub to create that irresistibly crispy skin.
- Garlic Powder-Garlic Powder rounds out the spice rub and helps to amplify the flavor of the fresh garlic that is rolled inside the lechon.
- Canola Oil-Canola oil is used to add a little fat to the lechon so it stays crispy and moist as it is cooked. You can substitute this for vegetable oil or another neutral oil if you do not have canola on hand.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the roasting rack in the middle of the oven.
- Clean the pork belly slab and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the meat onto a flat surface and rub the skin with 1/2 tablespoon of onion and garlic powder and rub the rest into the inner belly meat.
- Lay the belly slab with skin on the flat surface.
- Put all the garlic, red onion, green onion, and basil leaves at the long end of the belly and roll the slab to form a tube, and tie it with kitchen twine.
- Rub oil on the meat.
- Arrange pork belly in the middle of the roasting pan and bake the belly for four hours.
- After four hours, remove the belly from the oven and transfer the oven rack to the lowest level. Broil the pork belly for fifteen minutes. Keep an eye on the meat since it will burn quickly. Keep on checking the oven.
- Let the belly sit for another 30 minutes before serving.
Common Questions:
- What is pork belly in Tagalog- Pork is baboy and belly is tiyan in Tagalog, so it’s called Tiyan ng Baboy in Tagalog.
- Does the pork belly get softer the longer you cook it? Roasting the pork belly for a long time does make the meat as the heat breaks down the fiber. It also makes the meat flavorful as the spices seep through the meat and it soften.
- Is pork belly a good cut for the meat? I love pork belly, although it’s not the healthiest part. Since it has of lean and fatty ribbon, for me, it’s the tastiest and juices.::
Tips to achieve Crispy Lechon Skin
- The secret to making crispy, crackling skin is to broil it after baking. Move the roasting rack to the lowest level of your oven and broil for fifteen minutes. I promise this oven-roasted pork belly is worth the hard work and waiting time.
Serving Suggestions for this Cebu style Lechon
- Slice with a sharp knife and make sure a paper towel is on hand to wipe the juice oozing out from the meat.
- Soy sauce with garlic- this is a dipping sauce that’s simple.
- Mang Tomas Lechon sauce- homemade or store-bought Lechon sauce is good either way.
How to store
- This is a large serving fit for a crowd. If you are making this for your family, there’s a possibility of some leftovers.
- Refrigerate leftover in the sealed container and for 3 days.
- Place the leftovers in the Ziploc and freeze. It will be good for six months
- Cook leftovers using this Steamed Pork Belly recipe.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Try your best to evenly coat the belly in the rub so every bite has a rich flavor.
- Make sure the skin side is down (against the cutting board or counter) before you start rolling the belly.
- Tie the kitchen twine tightly so everything stays within the belly during the cook.
- Do not skip the broiling step; this is what makes the pork belly extra crispy and delicious! Be sure to keep an eye on the lechon in the broiler because you do not want it to burn!
- Resting the meat after cooking seals in the meaty juices so do not skip this step!
What to Serve with Lechon Belly?
Lechon Belly is delicious with practically everything! It is salty, herby, and full of decadent pork flavor, so you want to pair it with something that will let this meat shine!
Eat the meat on its own with garlic and soy sauce for dipping. On the side, serve Lechon Belly with rice and a blend of your favorite roasted vegetables.
How to Store and Reheat Lechon Belly
To store this delicious pork, allow it to cool completely and then move it to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Lechon Belly can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to six months.
If freezing, allow the lechon to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
To reheat, there are several methods. You can microwave the pork for up to 2 minutes, stir fry it warm, or even steam it.
Make the most of your leftovers by reusing them in another amazing recipe, like this unforgettable Steamed Pork Belly with Asian Glazed Sauce Recipe.
Equipment
- Roasting Pan
- Kitchen twine
Ingredients
- 4 lbs pork belly slab Just double the reipe if using more
- 5 stalks green onion
- 5 pieces dry basil leave
- 1 head garlic crushed or chopped
- 2 tablespoons iodized salt divided
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper, divided divided
- 1 tablespoons onion powder,divided
- 1 tablespoons garlic powder, divided
- 2 tablespoons Canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the roasting rack in the middle of the oven.
- Clean pork belly slab and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the meat onto a flat surface and rub the skin with 1/2 tablespoon of onion and garlic powder and rub the rest into the inner belly meat.
- Lay the belly slab with skin on the flat surface.
- Put all the garlic, red onion, green onion, bay leave at the long end of the belly and roll the slab to form a tube and tie with kitchen twine.
- Rub oil on the meat.
- Arrange pork belly in the middle of the roasting pan and bake belly for four hours.
- After four hours, remove belly from the oven and trasfer the oven rack to the lowest level. Broil the pork belly for fifteen minutes. Keep an eye of the meat since it will burn quickly. Keep on checking the oven.
- Let the belly sit for another 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Welcome!
Hi, my name is Shobee. Welcome to The Skinny Pot, where we cook Easy Recipes from the available ingredients from our pantry and fridge! We’re your go-to source for simple and delicious recipes that make the most of what you already have at home. Talk about the pantry challenge. Read more...
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