Lechon Kawali
Pork belly boiled until tender, air-dried, then deep-fried until the skin blisters into crackling. Served with liver sauce or spiced vinegar.
Estimated cost: ₱110–₱130
Prep 15 min · Total 100 min · Serves 1
Nutrition per serving: 856 kcal · 16 g protein · 0 g carbs · 88 g fat
Ingredients
- 200g, skin-on Pork belly (liempo)
- 2 tbsp Cooking oil absorbed from deep-frying
- enough to cover Water
- 4 cloves, smashed Garlic
- 3 pcs Bay leaves
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Whole black peppercorns
Steps
- Place pork belly in a pot and cover with water. Add garlic, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming foam from the surface.
- Lower to medium heat, cover, and simmer for 40–50 minutes until the pork is fork-tender but still holds its shape.
- Remove pork and pat the skin completely dry with paper towels. Air-dry uncovered for 15–20 minutes until the surface feels dry to the touch.
- Score the skin lightly without cutting into the fat.
- Heat deep-frying oil in a deep pot to 180–190°C. Carefully lower pork skin-side down and cover partially to protect from splatter.
- Fry for 8–10 minutes until the skin is blistered and deep golden. Flip and fry the meat side for 3–4 minutes.
- Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels, and rest for 5 minutes before chopping.
Prices are estimates based on Department of Agriculture price monitoring. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central, FNRI).