Lechon is a famous food popular among Filipinos. No occasion is complete without it. In fact, for one to be considered a rather important gathering, Lechon has to be one of the foods prepared and served. Who can say no to the crispy pig skin and the juicy meat? The lechon from Cebu has gained worldwide recognition. The secret? Don’t use coals. Use fire instead. Roasting the pig is different in terms of the coating of the pig’ skin, the stuffing, the cooking time and the kind of pig used.
We usually roast a pig weighing 25kls. Here in our place, a 25kl lechon usually costs around Php 4,000.00. For the Visayas and Luzon, this would cost around Php7,000.00. But not to worry, you can also order a little less than a 25kl pig. We call it lechon-de-leche. The price for this is slightly lower, though. One known fact, the younger the pig, the tender the meat.
Origin of Lechon
According to Wikipedia, lechon is not only prepared in the Philippines. It is a dish from different parts of the world specifically Spain. The word “lechon” is a Spanish word meaning roasted suckling pig. This is so because the whole pig is roasted over charcoal. It is prepared by removing all the pig’s entrails, skewering the entire pig over charcoal.
Steps to Make Lechon:
bamboo pole or steel rod
pig
charcoal
lemongrass (Tanglad in Filipino)
salt
use coconut water, soy sauce or milk for the pig’s skin
- Skewer the entire pig with a bamboo pole or steel rod. Here in our locality, we usually use the bamboo pole as we have plenty of it. The belly should be cut open before sticking the bamboo pole. This allows the stuffing to be placed inside the belly of the pig. Do not forget to tie the pig’s hands and feet so that it won’t come apart during roasting.
- Prepare the stuffing. Here, we are only going to use salt and lemongrass.
- Spread the salt inside the stomach cavity of the pig and place the lemongrass (folded) inside. Preferably, use 2 large bundles of lemongrasses.
- After getting the stuffing done. Sew the pig’s belly using an oversized needle wire and kitchen twine or nylon.
- You can use coconut water, soy sauce or milk for the pig. Make sure to remove the rod before serving. Preferably, roast the pig according to the time it will be served.
The fun part of eating lechon is, you get to chop the pig and decide which part you would like to eat. I would usually go for the crispy skin and the ribs. It is indeed the best dish for me.
16 comments
Oh man. I couldn’t do it. I don’t eat pig. Never have. Never will. So I would give my portion to someone else! ha!
wow, this looks kind of similar to a way of roasting pig that I saw in Hawaii
This is a first for me, I haven’t heard of Lechon before. I just went to a very popular Filipino restaurant near me
and had garlic rice and coconut ginger vegetables. Now that I am looking at their menu I see they have a lot of pork belly options. Thanks for the recommendation and for educating me on your culture!
You are most welcome. I will try to impart the Philippines as I know it to the world.
I’ve heard about this famous Filipino food and I would love to give it a try someday! I don’t think you can enjoy this dish anywhere else other than in the Philippines itself.
That’s so true. I believe we, Filipinos, make the best lechon.
One of the best in the Philippines. One thing that you should never miss is their lechon. The process of cooking may take time but it’s worth the wait.
Wow! This certainly sounds like a yummy meal! (and a large one!)
I love lechon, though I have not had that for quite sometime now. Trying to stay away from food like these because of my pre-hypertension, huhu. 🙁
This awesome information about the Lechon. I know my sons and I have an allergy to lemongrass so we would have to use something else inside the pig. Thanks for sharing the information and the recipe.
I can see my husband’s face when I bring one of these home and describe to him how I’m gonna cook it! This looks absolutely amazing! Might be great for a Christmas gathering!
Here, it really is one of our dishes during Christmas Eve.
well i didn’t know about lechon before..every country has their own food culture. its looks roasted pig..but sorry i can’t eat as i am vegetarian 🙂 lol
Lechon is one of the most favorites delicacies in the Philippines. I would have to try it but I remember that I am a vegetarian. Lol!!!