How to Cook Lechon Kawali with Cucumber-Vinegar Sauce
Lechon kawali is a beloved Filipino dish made of pork belly that’s boiled until tender, then deep-fried to golden perfection, resulting in crispy skin and juicy meat.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 345kcal
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 kilo pork belly slab
- 2 stalks lemon grass tied into a knot
- 2 Tbsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns
- 3 pcs bay leaves
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- fine salt for rubbing the pork
- water for boiling
- vinegar for brushing the skin
- 3 to 4 cups cooking oil for deep frying
For the Vinegar-Cucumber dipping sauce:
- 1/2 cup palm vinegar
- 1 piece red onion chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced cucumber
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper powder optional
Instructions
How to Cook Lechon Kawali with Cucumber-Vinegar Sauce
- Wash and drain the pork belly slab. Remove hairs in the skin by using a shaving razor or sharp knife.
- Fill the large pot with water just enough to cover the meat. Bring to a boil then add in lemon grass, garlic, black peppercorns, salt and bay leaves.
- Put the pork belly slab into the pot and let it boil in medium heat for 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours or until the pork is tender.
- Remove from pot and drain in a colander. Set aside and let it cool down.
- Poke the skin with a fork and brush with vinegar then let it dry. Rub with fine salt the skin and the entire surface of the pork.
- Heat cooking oil in a pot deep enough to fry the pork belly slab. Fry the pork until golden brown then remove from oil and drain in a colander. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Then heat the oil again and re-fry the pork belly until golden brown and the skin is crispy.
- Remove from oil and let it cool. Then slice the lechon kawali and serve with cucumber-vinegar dipping sauce.
- To make the dipping sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.