“Lechon kawali is a popular Filipino pork dish that is deep-fried to golden perfection. Crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside – this delicious dish is great as an appetizer or main course.”

Lechon kawali is one of the popular celebration menu you will find in a Filipino party. I always look for this during celebration because of the crunchiness of the skin and the juiciness of the pork. It’s so delicious on its own or as a meal.

While it is fairly easy to cook this dish, but the amount of waiting and effort used in frying this dish is what makes it special and reserved only during celebrations. This recipe resembles the process of making crispy pata; boiling and drying the meat before deep-frying it.

I love eating this dish especially with steamed rice and spiced vinegar dipping sauce. The sourness of the vinegar contradicts with the richness of the pork fat and crispy skin. You can indulge on this dish once in a while or when craving kicks in.

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WHAT IS LECHON KAWALI

In some parts of the Philippines, Filipinos have always celebrated holidays and special occasions with “Lechon” (whole roasted pig) in the centerpiece of the table. It has been said that any event would be incomplete without it.

Filipinos used their resourcefulness to create a Lechon-like dish that do not require the use of a whole pig, which was not always available. So they used pork belly to make lechon kawali.

Lechon kawali is crispy deep-fried pork belly. Pork belly, also known as liempo, is the most common and ideal cut of pork used in this dish. This recipe is best served with white rice on the side for lunch or dinner. It’s also tasty with a variety of dipping sauces.

The name Lechon kawali comes from the tagalog word “Kawali”, a type of frying pan that is typically used to prepare it. It is the most common pan found in practically every Filipino household. In everyday cooking, this is the “go-to” pan.

Lechon Kawali is distinct from chicharon, crispy pata, and bagnet, although all of these recipes are crispy fried variations of how Filipinos cook pork. It will hit you square in the face as you bite into the crispy skin and chew the soft and tender meat, and you will realize how gorgeous and wonderful this dish is. It will keep you wanting more at all times.

Dip it in a spiced vinegar to lessen the fattiness of the Lechon, or serve it with lechon sauce or sweet and sour sauce to ensure you have another bite of this delectable dish.

LECHON KAWALI INGREDIENTS

Pork Belly. The main star of the show! The pork belly, often known as ‘Liempo,’ is the perfect cut used to make Lechon Kawali. It has the ideal ratio of skin, fat, and meat for a crispy and tender Lechon Kawali.

Choose a slab of pork belly that has a healthy alternating layer of fats and meat. Don’t get a thick piece of meat because it will be dry, hard, and chewy.

Spices. When boiling the meat, some spices are added to bring tons of flavor into the meat. I used garlic, onion, whole peppercorn, salt, and bay leaves.

Vinegar. Adding vinegar in the boiling water removes any impurities in the meat and aids in preserving the meat when stored. Also, the acid in vinegar aids in the removal of moisture from the skin, allowing for better cracking.

Soy Sauce. Adds umami flavor into the dish.

Salt.  Provides taste and takes moisture out for improved crackling.

Oil. Deep-frying requires the use of the correct kind of oil. Choose oils like canola, grapeseed, sunflower, peanut, or vegetable oil that have a high smoke point.

HOW TO MAKE LECHON KAWALI

The process of making lechon kawali is similar to crispy pata, it involves boiling, air-drying and frying the meat to achieve a crispy skin and tender juicy inside. Although you can skip the dying part, but this is the part where will make your lechon kawali

Personally, I find lechon kawali cooks faster compare to crispy pata and less stressful because it can be cut into smaller sizes.

Step 1: Boiling the pork belly

So, let’s start with the boiling process.

During this process, it’s critical that the pork belly becomes tender.

In a large cooking pot, pour enough water to cover the belly. Add the meat with skin side down and season with salt and other spices. During the cooking process, the pork absorbs the flavors.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and remove any scums that floats on top. Then, cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, or until the meat is fork-tender and not falling apart.

Based on my experience, it takes approximately 45 minutes of simmering for the belly to fully cook. The meat is fork-tender but not overcooked.  You are able to extend this time if necessary.

Remove the meat from the pan and let it cool a bit in a wire rack to drip excess liquid.

What is fork tender? Fork tender is achieve when a sharp utensil such as fork or knife can be inserted into the center of the cut with little or no resistance.

Step 2: Air-drying the pork belly

After cooling the meat, using a knife make some horizontal and vertical lines on the skin of the belly around ¾-1 inch apart (skin deep only). This is optional but I recommend it. I find it convenient to do this step so it will be easier to chop it into bite sizes after frying. Also it absorbs the salt faster and dry faster. You can skip this process if you desired.

Rub the meat all over with salt and set it aside to air-dry for about 1-2 hours. Please see the tips below.

Step 3: Frying the pork belly

Make sure the oil is completely hot before frying the pork leg. The oil should be heated to between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Frying with too high temperature will burn the skin before the meat is fully cooked. While frying using low temperature will result on overheated meat that becomes dry before the skin have completely crisp.

Carefully place a slice of pork belly in a pan with hot oil, keeping your guard up by gripping the pot’s cover. When hot oil begins to splatter, initially cover as needed until the splatter subsides. It is not a good idea to cover the pot because this confines the steam and causes it to form into water. When water drips from the lid, it splatters even more. Cook until the pork belly is crispy over medium heat.

When there isn’t enough oil, it’s a good idea to flip the pork belly over and fried the other side around 2-3 minutes on each side. This ensures that your lechon kawali is evenly cooked.

Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside to cool a bit. Do the second fry to make your lechon kawali extra crispy. Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until crispy.

Drain on a paper towel or on a wire rack. Then cut into serving pieces with a side of lechon sauce or any dipping sauce.

TIPS IN DRYING THE PORK BELLY

It is important to use a wire rack and with skin side up while drying the meat so that there is enough ventilation and prevents moisture from forming. Below are some drying techniques to make your lechon kawali dry faster.

• Leave it at room temperature for about 1-2 hours with an electric fan on.
• Place it in the fridge uncovered for about 1-2 hours.
• Put it in the oven at lowest heat (around 120 °C/ 250 °F) for an hour.
• If you have a sunny weather, you can place it under the sun with screen cover (to ward off insects) and sundry it for about 1-2 hours.

COOKING TIPS

• Boil the pork until it is fork-tender but not mushy. This keeps the meat wet and prevents it from becoming dry and chewy. Keep in mind that it will continue to cook while deep-frying.
• You can replace some of the water with Sprite to add extra taste.
• After cooling the meat, use a knife to make some horizontal and vertical lines on the skin of the belly around ¾-1 inch apart, being careful not to pierce the meat.
• Season the pork belly with salt all over to drain out extra moisture. You can also brush with some vinegar to aid moisture retention, although we already have
• To get the finest results, use enough oil to completely cover the pork belly while deep-frying, and keep the temperature between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Chop the meat into 2-inch pieces to fry the meat faster and to achieve the perfect blend of crispiness on the outsides and juiciness in the inside. To keep the meat juicy for longer, I recommend cooking it whole.
• Allow it to rest for 3-5 minutes before double frying.

NOTES IN PREPARING LECHON KAWALI

• For safety, use the large pot with cover. Make sure it’s deep and big enough to hold the oil and the meat’s extra volume without overflowing or splashing.
• Keep a splatter screen or lid nearby to keep oil splatters at bay.
• Dry the pork belly well to avoid splatters.

DIPPING SAUCE IDEAS

Lechon kawali is a Filipino dish that can be served as an appetizer or a main course. It pairs well with a variety of Filipino sawsawan, such as the following:

• Spiced vinegar. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup cane vinegar, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 medium onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon freshly cracked whole peppercorns, salt, chopped bird’s eye chilies or chili flakes and 1/8 teaspoon sugar (optional).
• Lechon sauce
• Banana ketchup
• Sweet and sour sauce
• Toyo and calamansi (lemon) combination

HOW TO SERVE

This crispy pig belly, like most fried meals, is best when served immediately after cooking because the skin loses its crispness over time.

Serve it with your favorite dipping sauce and side dish like atchara.

MAKE AHEAD AND STORAGE

This lechon kawali recipe can be made ahead of time. After boiling and cooling, chop the meat into 2-3 pieces and wrap it individually, if desired.

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container or zip lock in the freezer.

To get the best results, only fry enough for a meal that is why I recommend chopping it into portions.

When you’re ready to cook, heat oil and place the meat to deep fry. You can thaw/defrost it for 30 minutes or fry it immediately. But only note that it will take time for the meat to fully cook.

Any left-overs can be stored uncovered to keep them crisp for as long as possible.

Or try these lechon kawali left-over ideas:

• Make crispy pork sisig or lechong paksiw
• Use as meat for your pinakbet or ginisang munggo
• Serve as toppings for pancit palabok or pancit bihon guisado
• Make a crispy version of pork binagoongan or tokwa’t baboy

Try this lechon kawali recipe this coming holiday seasons. It will definitely be a crowd pleaser! Happy tummy!

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