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How to make lechon kawali – Filipino-style crispy pork belly simmered, air-dried then deep-fried, and served with a spicy tart sauce

  • Lechon kawali is an easier, deep-fried version of a Filipino whole roast young pig dish, made using pork belly
  • The pork belly is first simmered, then dried in a fridge for eight hours, before being deep-fried twice

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This deep-fried pork belly dish (lechon kawali) is a version of the Filipino whole roast pig dish. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Susan Jung

The Philippines is heaven for pork lovers. Probably the most impressive dish is lechon, where a young pig is roasted whole until the meat is succulent and the skin is crisp, then served as the centrepiece to a feast.

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But pork is used in many other dishes, and no part of the animal is wasted: the blood and innards are made into dinuguan, a stew which is far more delicious than it looks; the head and other extremities left over from lechon can be chopped up and used for sisig; the meat is used to flavour vegetables; and, of course, one of the most popular versions of adobo is made with pork belly.

Lechon kawali

Until I have a barbecue pit in my garden – a project that will have to wait until I actually have a garden – I won’t be making whole-pig lechon. But lechon kawali is a much easier project for a home cook. The pork belly is first simmered in a flavourful liquid, air-dried in the fridge, then deep-fried to crisp up the skin.
The pork belly is first simmered in a flavourful liquid, then air-dried in the fridge and deep-fried to crisp up the skin. Photo: Jonathan Wong
The pork belly is first simmered in a flavourful liquid, then air-dried in the fridge and deep-fried to crisp up the skin. Photo: Jonathan Wong

It’s a bit messy – and you have to take care because the hot oil can spit everywhere – but at least it doesn’t require having a barbecue pit.

Choose a skin-on piece of pork belly that weighs about 1kg (35oz) – the layers of fat should not be too thick. Start the lechon the day before you want to eat it, to give the meat time to air-dry in the fridge.

Ingredients:

  • 1 piece of skin-on pork belly, about 1kg (35oz)

  • Fine sea salt, as necessary

  • 2 tbsp black peppercorns

  • 1 head of garlic

  • 1 onion, about 275 grams (9½ oz), peeled

  • 3 bay leaves

  • White vinegar, for brushing

  • Cooking oil, as necessary

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