Lechon kawali, also known as lechon de carajay or litsong kawali in Tagalog, is a Filipino recipe consisting of pork belly that is first boiled and then quickly fried.
It is seasoned first, then cooked, and then served in cubes.
It is usually served with sarsa ng litson (lechon sauce) made with vinegar and pork liver or toyomansi (soy sauce with calamansi).
When fried for a long time until golden and crispy, it becomes bagnet Ilocos, a variant of chicharron.
Lechon kawali is also a common accompaniment or ingredient for stir-frying spinach with shrimp paste.
This dish should not be confused with Lechon, considered the national dish of the Philippines, which is suckling pig cooked in a pit full of burning coals, while Lechon kawali is cooked by boiling and then frying a part of the pig, usually the belly.
It is named after the type of pan traditionally used to cook it: the kawali.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Frying
- Cuisine: Filipino
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork belly
- 5 leaves bay leaves
- to taste peppercorns
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Wok or kawali
Steps
Boil the whole pork belly in a liter of water with pepper and bay leaves for 30 minutes.
Drain, salt, dry, and cut into cubes.
Fry it in plenty of vegetable oil.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is the difference between lenchon kawali and bagnet Ilocos?
Bagnet Ilocos is seasoned with garlic, whole black pepper, bay leaves, and salt.
The pork belly is first boiled and then left to dry completely overnight before frying it twice.
It originates from Ilocos and is considered a favorite among Filipinos, served with bagoong monamon, a sauce made from fermented anchovies, and white rice.What is Filipino chicharron?
Although chicharrones are generally made from fried pork belly or pork rinds, they have taken many forms in Filipino cuisine and are also prepared with other ingredients such as chicken breasts, pork ears, intestines (isaw), and omentum (bulaklak), as well as tuna skin.
