Cooking Lucid
Lechon Kawali
Crispy deep-fried pork belly with shatteringly crunchy skin and melt-in-your-mouth meat. Served with lechon sauce and pickled papaya — pure Filipino indulgence.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1h 30m
Total 1h 45m
Serves 6
Ingredients
Step 1 — Boil the pork belly
- 3 lbs pork belly (skin on)
- 8 cups water
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
- 6 garlic cloves (crushed)
Step 2 — Fry until crispy
- Vegetable oil (for deep frying)
- Salt (for sprinkling)
Step 3 — Serve
- Lechon sauce or liver sauce
- Achara (pickled papaya)
- Steamed white rice
Instructions
- 1
Boil until tender
Place pork belly in a pot with water, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered 45–60 minutes until fork-tender. Drain and pat completely dry. Refrigerate uncovered at least 2 hours (or overnight) to dry the skin.
- 2
Deep fry
Heat oil to 375°F in a deep pot. Carefully lower pork belly skin-side down and fry 10–15 minutes until skin is deeply golden and blistered. Flip and fry 5 more minutes. Rest 10 minutes before chopping.
- 3
Serve
Chop into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with salt and serve with lechon sauce, achara, and steamed rice.
Nutrition per serving: 620 cal · 28g protein · 2g carbs · 54g fat · 0g fiber
For informational purposes only. Not medical or dietary advice. Verify ingredients for allergens, cooking times, and safe internal temperatures before serving.
