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Lechon Pork Belly Recipe
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Filipino lechon liempo pork belly recipe

Lechon belly has crispy skin when cooked the right way. For that reason, it’s a mainstay in different celebrations like weddings, baptisms, office parties, and other celebrations.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Filipino
Keyword LEchon, Pork
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 715kcal
Author Joost Nusselder
Cost $20

Ingredients

  • 2 kg pork belly ribs without ribs

For the marinade/brine:

  • 1 stalk lemongrass (tanglad)
  • 1 stalk onion leeks (or 3 stalks spring onions)
  • 2 pcs laurel (bay leaves)
  • 1 tbsp ground black peppercorn
  • 5 cloves garlic crushed
  • ½ cup rock salt
  • 5 cups water

For the filling:

  • 1 stalk lemongrass (tanglad)
  • 1 stalk onion leeks (or 3 stalks spring onions)
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed

For the glaze:

  • 3 parts evaporated milk
  • 1 part water

Instructions

  • Wash the pork slab with running water and make sure that the hairs on the skin are shaved.
  • In a pot, put in 5 cups of water, then add lemongrass, bay leaves, onion, black peppercorns, garlic, and salt.
  • Make the brine/marinade:
  • Bring water to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes. This will allow the herbs and spices to release their flavors and aromas.
  • Turn off heat. Set aside brine solution until it cools.
  • Pour brine onto the pork slab and marinate overnight (about 10-12 hours).
  • After marinating, remove the pork from the brine. The surface of the pork is quite salty, so we have to rinse with fresh water and then pat dry with a towel.
  • Lay the pork slab on a flat surface and place the rolled lemongrass, leek, and garlic onto it.
  • Now roll up the pork slab, form a roulade with the garlic, leeks, and lemongrass in the center. Tie pork with twine (string) to keep its roulade shape.
  • Brush the surface with a mixture of milk and water. Set aside for at least half to an hour to allow the milk to seep into the skin. Milk makes the skin color reddish-brown when roasted.

Cook lechon using a turbo broiler:

  • Set and preheat your turbo broiler at 375 F (190 C). Maintain this temperature up to the end of cooking.
  • Put the pork roulade on the turbo broiler but cover with aluminum foil.
  • I put aluminum foil to cover the meat temporarily for the first 2 hours of cooking to keep the belly moist inside and to shield it from direct hot air from the broiler fan. Otherwise, the outer part of the pork will be cooked quickly, yet the inner part will be half-cooked.
  • After 2 hours, remove the aluminum foil cover. Continue cooking, but rotate the roulade at least every 10 minutes to evenly cook the skin.
  • Check if the skin is crackling crispy. If so, then it's done.

Cook lechon using an oven:

  • Set and preheat your oven at 375 F (190 C). Maintain this temperature up to the end of cooking.
  • Place your pork roulade over a grill pan with wire mesh. Cover with aluminum foil.
  • Cover the belly for the first 2 hours of cooking to keep the belly moist inside and to shield it from direct heat from the oven. Otherwise, the outer part of the pork will be cooked quickly, yet the inner part will be half-cooked.
  • Place pork belly inside the oven. Remove the aluminum wrap after 2 hours. Rotate the pork once in a while to cook the skin evenly.
  • Check if the skin is already crackling crispy. If so, then it's done.

Notes

  • Cooking time may vary from 2 hours up to 3 hours, depending on if the pork slab came from a young or matured pig.
  • If your oven has a rotisserie setting, then you can use it. Just wrap it with aluminum foil for the first 2 hours of cooking.
  • To make the skin bubbling crispy, pierce the pork skin with a fork before cooking. Make sure that the pierce isn't too deep to reach the fat section of the pork.
  • Leftover lechon belly can be recycled as lechon paksiw rather than reheating the same dish again.

Nutrition

Calories: 715kcal