Lechon Kawali

Get this recipe now for this all-time Filipino favorite dish, Lechon Kawali! Deliciously crunchy in every bite!

Lechon Kawali is a well-loved pork dish all over the country. Pork belly is boiled and then later deep-fried making the exterior crisp and crunchy while leaving the inside tender and juicy. 

I will also share a secret on how to get that pork skin crackling.  I will never tire of eating Lechon Kawali and I will probably do so, if only it is as healthy as it tastes (really) good. But indulging once in a while should be fine.  

Speaking of which, Lechon Kawali is one of the first Filipino dishes I have indulged in since we arrived the Philippines about two weeks ago. Yes, we are finally here! For those who don’t know, Armin and I decided to leave Germany and move to the Philippines. I will write more about it in our next monthly income report. For now, I would just like to apologize if I was not able to answer your comments and questions as fast as I could. We were so busy with moving in and filling the house with at least the bare necessities and all and I was only able to work on my computer until a couple of days ago (I am not a laptop person)! 

We were also not able yet to draw a winner for our September Giveaway…but hopefully, we will back to the old routine soon!  Good thing I was able to make and schedule some new articles for the last weeks and one or two more recipes with pictures prepared while we were still in Germany, including this recipe for Lechon Kawali, that way you will not miss us too much…????.  

Anyways, going back to this delicious dish of Lechon Kawali, if you want to get that crispy crackling pig skin when deep-fried, you’ve got to air dry your pork first after boiling it. You do this by draining the excess water and then putting the slab of pork belly in the fridge for some hours or overnight.

You will also have to sprinkle it with a bit of cold water from time to time while frying it to induce the crackling of the pork skin. Just be careful of the splatters and I would suggest to cover up your hand and arms (and face) if possible or get a splatter screen like this one. 

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Lechon Kawali

Get recipe now for this all-time Filipino favorite dish, Lechon Kawali! Deliciously crunchy in every bite!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Filipino

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 5

Calories 1030 kcal

Author Bebs

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork belly
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons peppercorn (whole)
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 5 cloves garlic - crushed
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2-3 cups oil - for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. In a pot, combine pork belly, salt, peppercorn, bay leaves, soy sauce, garlic, and water. Bring to boil. Let it cook until meat is fork-tender.
2. Remove the pork belly from water and let the excess water completely drain. Transfer to a plate and then rub 1 tablespoon of salt all over the meat. Put in the fridge overnight to dry out.
3. Cut in frying size, about 3/4 inch thick. Heat oil in a wok or pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, fry each side of a cut for 5 minutes while sprinkling the skin with ice-cold water and letting it crackle from time to time.
4. Remove from hot oil and cut into bite sizes. Serve while still hot!

Nutrition Facts

Lechon Kawali

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1030 Calories from Fat 945

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 105g 162%

Saturated Fat 35g 175%

Cholesterol 130mg 43%

Sodium 4455mg 186%

Potassium 378mg 11%

Total Carbohydrates 2g 1%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 0g

Protein 17g 34%

Vitamin A 0.4%

Vitamin C 1.8%

Calcium 2.8%

Iron 7.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.