Lechon Kawali ( Crispy Pork Belly)

Lechon Kawali derived its name from pork belly that’s deep-fried in a wok or kawali. It is usually part of ordinary day’s menu or sometimes served on special occasions.

Estimated Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Makes 2-4 servings

Lechon Kawali Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs pork liempo (pork belly)
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 pcs. bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns or 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• salt
• water, for boiling
• oil (for deep frying)

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 shallot, minced or 1 small onion, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• chili peppers (optional)

Cooking directions:

In a pot, combine pork slices, water, salt, and bay leaf. Boil over medium heat until almost all the water has evaporated. Remove the pork then drain it with strainer or paper towel, and cool.

Preheat wok with oil. Deep-fry the pork slices over medium heat until golden brown. Drain and cool.

Chop the pork into 1-inch slices. Serve warm with sauce like catsup (or ketchup), garlic-vinegar dip, soy sauce and vinegar, or soy sauce with lemon, lime, or calamansi.

Or, mix all the sauce ingredients and serve lechon kawali while it’s hot.

Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup pig liver paste (use a food processor to liquefy slices of liver)
• 2/ 3 cup bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 ½ cups water
• 2/3 cups brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• ½ cup onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

• 1. Heat a pan and put-in the cooking oil.
• 2. When the oil is hot enough, sauté the garlic and onions until the texture becomes soft.
• 3. Put-in the liver paste and cook for about 5 minutes in medium heat while stirring.
• 4. Add the vinegar and bring to a boil. Stir for a minute.
• 5. Pour-in water and bring to a boil.
• 6. Stir-in the brown sugar and cook for 2 minutes.
• 7. Add the bread crumbs and cook for another 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
• 8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• 9. Turn off the heat and allow the sauce to cool down.
• 10. Place the sauce in a blender then blend for a minute.
• 11. Transfer the sauce in a serving bowl.
• 12. Serve along with the Lechon Kawali. Share and enjoy!

Biko

Biko consists of malagkit (glutinous) rice, coconut milk, sugar, and topped with “latik”.

Biko is a rice cake with caramel topping or latik and here is the recipe for Biko. Biko is usually served during birthday parties, fiestas, Christmas, New Year and other celebrated events in Philippines.

Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Serves 12.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups malagkit (sticky rice)
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3 1/2 c. diluted coconut milk
• 1/8 lb. butter
• 1 egg, beaten

Topping:

• 1 can (15 oz.) condensed milk
• 3/4 cups rich coconut milk
• 2 to 3 tbsp. flour for quick thickening

Procedure:

1. Grate and squeeze out milk from 2 coconuts. Save 3/4 cup of the first milk squeezed out (rich milk) for topping. Dilute the rest of the coconut milk to make 3 1/2 cups. Or use 1 can (12 ounces) frozen coconut milk, saving 3/4 cup of the thick milk for topping and diluting the rest to make 3 1/2 cups.
2. Boil rice and coconut milk in a heavy pot stirring constantly to keep from burning (about 15 to 20 minutes). When the rice is done and almost dry, lower the heat and add the sugar and butter. Mix well and set aside. When cool, add the egg.
3. Spread the rice mixture in a well buttered Pyrex dish (11 3/4 x 7 1/2 x 1 3/4 inch) and bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 20 minutes.

• To make latik or topping: Combine all topping ingredients in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat stirring constantly until thick (about 15 minutes). Pour topping over rice mixture in dish. Increase oven heat to 350 degrees. Bake until top is brown (about 15 minutes).