Lechon Belly Recipe (Boneless Lechon) | Panlasang Pinoy Meaty Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep lechon belly skin crispy? ›

Crispen Skin

Increase oven temperature to 425°F, and add a little liquid to the drip pan on the bottom rack so any dripping fat does not smoke up the house. Poke a bunch more holes in the skin. It will be easier when hot. Return pork belly to oven and cook approximately 1 hour, but keep a very close eye.

The secret to a super crispy pork belly has something to do with both the boiling and frying part. Boil the skin until it gets really tender. If not, the skin will remain tough no matter how long you fry it. On the frying side, I find that double frying works well.

There are several reasons why you might not be getting perfectly crisp crackling. Not enough salt - use the full amount specified in the recipe to cover the pork belly rind when dry brining as this is what causes the crackling to puff up and become crispy when the salt reacts with the fat.

Salt gives flavour and helps absorb any remaining moisture. 5 minutes before roasting, rub the piece of pork very generously with salt, ensuring it goes right into the scoring. You can use a mix of regular table salt (which will penetrate the skin) and salt flakes (for a crisp crust).

White Vinegar helps dry out the skin – but it has a secondary purpose of removing the odour! If you are prepared, place the Pork in the Fridge UNCOVERED overnight – the skin will dry out. When you pre-heat your oven, remove the pork from the fridge and let it return to room temperature.

Prick and Parboil the Meat

Parboil pork belly on medium heat for half an hour. Begin the process by taking a fork and pricking your meat all over – both the fleshy parts and the skin. This step helps tenderize the liempo and causes the fat to render once cooked.

If the skin hasn't completely transformed to crisp crackling, turn on the broiler and blast it for a further 10 minutes, keeping a close eye to make sure it doesn't burn. Remove cooked belly from oven, place on a board. Use a cleaver or roast slicer to cut into chunks and serve immediately.

However, washing raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils and surfaces.

When serving whole lechon during a feast, the belly area of the pig is usually the one that gets consumed first. Because the stuffing is placed in the stomach, the meat there is also the one with the best flavors.

Preheat oven to 230°C, 210°C fan or Gas Mark 8. Put the joint in a roasting tin on the top shelf for 20 minutes. This sudden blast of heat is the key to crispy crackling. Reduce the temperature to 180-190°C, 160-170°C fan or Gas Mark 4-5 and follow the cooking times below to ensure the joint is cooked through.

How do you keep lechon crispy? ›

I would store the lechon in a non air-tight container, like a KFC bucket/box with parchment paper. Paper bags are good options as well.

For the skin that's most likely already makunat, “All you need to do is put it in an air fryer, turbo broiler, toaster oven, or in your oven for approximately 10 minutes at 375 degrees F,” he says, taking a bite of a crunchy lechon skin he had finished heating. “It tastes as good as new,” he says.

After degreasing your crackling using a paper towel, place the cracklings in an airtight container. You can also settle for a food-storage bag that can be sealed and not permeable to air. It's best to avoid paper bags as they'd soil up in the fridge or freezer and ruin your pork crackling.

Oven Reheating for Optimal Crispiness

Method: Place the pork belly skin-side up on a baking sheet. If the skin is separate, lay it on a different tray. Timing: Heat for 10-15 minutes if at 350°F or shorter if at 400°F, checking for desired crispiness.

Once the pork rinds are cooked and cooled, you can store them in a paper bag or an airtight container wrapped in paper towels at room temperature for 3 days. The paper towel will help absorb any moisture, keeping them as crunchy as possible.