{"id":32859,"title":"Authentic Filipino Lechon Kawali","modified":"2025-06-10T13:53:23+02:00","plain":"Lechon kawali, sometimes called pan-roasted pork, differs from lechon, the iconic Filipino roast pig and national dish of the Philippines. \n\n\n\nWhile lechon is roasted over glowing charcoal in a pit, lechon kawali is prepared by first boiling and then frying a cut of pork (usually pork belly)\n\n\n\nTraditional Filipino lechon\n\n\n\nWhat is Lechon Kawali?\n\n\n\nThe simplest way to describe lechon kawali is as a kind of crispy pork. It is usually made with pork belly, or liempo. \n\n\n\nIt is best served for lunch or dinner alongside white rice, and is especially good with a dipping sauce.\n\n\n\nDo not confuse it with lechon, which is considered the national dish of the Philippines. The two dishes are prepared differently and look distinct.\n\n\n\nTraditional Filipino Kawali\n\n\n\nLechon kawali takes its name from the kawali, the pan traditionally used to cook it. This pan is found in almost every Filipino household and is the \"must-have\" pan for everyday cooking... as you can see in the image above, it is basically a wok.\n\n\n\nThe main ingredients of Lechon Kawali\n\n\n\nPork belly: Use fresh, unsmoked, unsalted pork belly, ideally in one large slab.\n\n\n\nThe rice vinegar: Essential for the acidity of the dip (called sawsawan), though you can also use cane vinegar as in chicken adobo\n\n\n\nLight soy sauce : If you can find Filipino soy sauce, use it; however, it is quite rare, even in Asian grocery stores\n\n\n\n\n\n\tAuthentic Filipino Lechon Kawali\n\t\t\n\t\tA delicious lechon kawali recipe that's easy as pie to make\t\n\t\n\t\tWok\t\n\t\n\t\t1 kg unsalted pork belly2 tablespoons salt2 tablespoons whole peppercorns5 leaves dried bay leaves1 L frying oil1 L water (enough to cover the pork)1 tablespoons dark soy sauceOptional: one red chiliFor the sawsawan dipping sauce120 ml rice vinegar3 teaspoons light soy sauce45 g brown sugar1 small red onion, minced1 gousse garlic (minced)1 red chili (minced, optional)0.5 tablespoons water\t\n\t\n\t\tFor the dipping sauceIn a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.Let it sit for 30 minutes, or ideally overnight. Taste and adjust. Add more sugar or water to taste, starting with 1 teaspoon at a time. Note that water will help mellow the acidity of the sauce\u2014use less if you prefer.Pour into an airtight glass container and store in the refrigerator until needed.For the porkPlace the water in a pot and bring to a boil.Add the pork belly and 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, soy sauce, and chili as well. Boil for 30 minutes or until the meat becomes tender.Remove the meat from the pot and let it cool for a few minutes.Rub 1 tablespoon of salt over the pork belly, making sure to distribute it evenly over all sections, including the skin.Begin frying the boiled meat. First, heat the oil in a wok or deep pan.Carefully place each piece of boiled pork belly into the hot oil and fry until crisp. Turn the meat to fry both sides evenly.Remove the meat from the pot. If possible, set it on a rack to cool (otherwise, on a plate lined with paper towels). Slice to your desired portion size.\t\n\t\n\t\tBe very careful when frying because the oil can splatter as the pork fat 'pops.' Cover the pan about two-thirds with a lid but not completely, otherwise the steam\/condensation will have the opposite effect.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tMain courseFilipinolechon kawali, porc croustillant","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32859\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}