Perfectly crispy lechon baboy: Cebu recipe with unique ingredients
Lechon is for a celebration as beer is for drinking parties. From fiestas and Noche Buena to weddings and almost any occasion, they’re never ever going to be complete without this dish!
It always manages to make any celebration grander, with its crispy skin and its succulent meat. People are surely going to forget that there are other items on the menu and form a line straight up to the lechon.
Today, I’ll be looking at this lechon baboy recipe from Cebu for you to follow for any upcoming celebrations!
In this recipe, we’ll realize that yes, lechon baboy makes any celebration grander. But the preparation itself is grand as well!
If you’re from the provinces, you’ll actually have access to pigs in the backyard to prepare for the dish.
However, if you don’t have access to live pigs, you can always go to the butcher shop and buy an entire pig prepared specifically for lechon baboy.
Also check out this crispy tadyang ng baka recipe to make
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Things to consider for preparing lechon baboy
- After draining the pig, remove its innards and wash its insides, then take away its hairs by lightly burning it.
- After making sure that all hairs are gone, wash the entire pig thoroughly again. Make sure that there are no traces of the insides and hair.
- Seasoning the pig comes next and this involves mixing a lot of soy sauce, salt, garlic, onion, pepper, and seasonings, and washing the pig with this said mixture. Be very generous in this part.
- Also, rub the pig inside and out with this mixture.
- Proceed to stuff the pig’s stomach with lemongrass to fight off its gamey smell and saw the pig close.
- Skewer the pig with a bamboo pole and roast over charcoal. While it’s roasting, you can brush it with vegetable or palm oil once in a while for it to have its distinct shine.
- After it’s roasted, you can now chop up the pig and serve it to your guests or have it brought whole to the grand table.
- This is a complicated recipe but a very rewarding one too. This is always going to be perfect in any celebration and will always be a favorite among Filipinos!
It’s hard to admit that before I eat lechon, I actually see it first as a squealing, very much alive pig.
Yep, that’s what spending your childhood summers in the provinces does to you. You actually see farm animals slaughtered to be eaten later by you! :)
How to make perfect lechon (lechon Cebu)
Ingredients
- 1 whole native pig (live weight 18 – 20 kg)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Soy sauce
For the glaze:
- 1 liter Sprite
For the stuffing:
- 10 bundles lemongrass (tanglad)
- ¼ cup star anise
- 6 pcs laurel or bay leaves cut into small parts
- 5 cups crushed garlic
- 2 kg green onion leaves
- 8 pcs halved saba bananas half-cooked through boiling
Instructions
- First, shave the hair follicles of the pig and remove the innards. Rinse the pig and make sure there are no more lumps of blood inside the stomach.
- Then rub the insides with salt and pepper, including the body.
- Rub a little soy sauce on the inside of the belly.
- Stuff the belly with saba bananas, anise, green onion leaves, crushed garlic, and laurel leaves.
- Next, stack the lemongrass in the center stomach, and stitch the belly, making sure that no ingredients slip out.
- Skewer the pig with a mid-size bamboo pole and spit-roast over hot charcoal. Don't put the charcoal directly underneath the belly of the pig but over both sides, slowly turning the pig roast.
- While slow-roasting the pig, glaze it from time to time with Sprite using a sponge. This will make the skin extra crispy.
- Roast for a couple of hours until the meat is tender. Don't overcook.
Nutrition
Do you like this lechon baboy recipe? Then don’t forget to leave your ideas and comments below. Please give this article a review/rating!
Now check out this video by YouTuber Choose Philippines to see them in action, cooking lechon baboy:
Also read: the perfect stuffed lechon pork belly liempo recipe
Serve up a plate or two of lechon baboy
This is a fatty dish, which is why adding some side dishes can complement its richness.
With that, take time to cook this dish to discover its amazing flavors. It’ll definitely be a hit!
Also check out this pork humba recipe, a delicious Filipino sweet, salty & sour pork belly
Check out our new cookbook
Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:
Read for free
Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.
