When talking about Filipino comfort food, it’s not a surprise to find Adobo and Lechon Kawali on top of most people's lists—so we figured, why not just marry them together? Our Adobong Lechon Kawali recipe has got that crisp, crackling pork skin with its nostalgic flavor of adobo that will make your eyes roll to the back of your head in pleasure. No matter where you are, this recipe will make you feel being back at home.
Ingredients
- ½ kg whole pork belly, skin on
- salt & pepper
- soy sauce, to taste
- vinegar, to taste
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced
- chopped siling labuyo, optional
- water
Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Sear pork belly: Heat oil in a pan over high heat. Pat pork belly dry with a paper towel, then season generously with salt and pepper. Once oil is hot, add pork belly to the pan. Sear until both sides are slightly browned.
Make adobo mixture: Fill loaf pan a little over half full with soy sauce, vinegar, onions, garlic, and siling labuyo (if using). Adjust the soy sauce-vinegar ratio to your liking—we suggest using ¾ cup soy sauce for every 1 cup vinegar. Add a dash of water to the mixture.
Bake: Place pork belly into the loaf pan, skin side up. Make sure the top part and the skin is dry. Cover loaf pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Bake pork belly skin: Transfer baked pork belly to a chopping board. Using a sharp knife, slice off the pork belly's skin. Place skin on a baking sheet and return to the oven. Bake until crispy, about 15 minutes.
Serve: Arrange pork belly and crispy skin on a plate. Skim off excess oil from the sauce in the loaf pan. Pour skimmed sauce over the pork, or transfer into a serving dish as sawsawan. Serve with steamed white rice.
Notes
You can slice the pork belly and crispy skin into smaller pieces before serving.
