It’s a shared experience if you grew up in a Filipino household: at least once in your life, you’ve bitten into a piece of lechon kawali only to find the skin chewy and the meat underneath dry. You still ate it (because lechon is lechon), but deep down, you knew it could be better.
This recipe is lechon kawali's redemption story. It delivers juicy, well-seasoned meat with crispy, blistered skin. The secret lies in simmering the pork in a flavorful mix of patis, garlic, and onion to keep it moist, then air-drying it in the fridge so the skin crisps up properly when fried.
It’s a bit of a process, but most of it is waiting for your fridge to dry out your pork. It all pays off with a guaranteed showstopper for your next family lunch.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup patis
- 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 ½ cups large-diced onion
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
- 6 cups water (or more, as needed to fully submerge the pork)
- 1 kg whole slab pork belly (liempo), skin-on
- salt, to season and dry the skin
- neutral oil, for deep frying (about 4–6 cups, depending on your pot)
Simmer pork: In a large pot, combine the patis, garlic, onions, bay leaves, peppercorns, and water. Stir to combine. Lower the pork belly in, skin-side up, ensuring it's fully submerged. Add more water and patis if needed, keeping the ratio at 1 cup patis per 6 cups of water.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the pork is tender but not falling apart.
Let cool: Carefully remove the pork and place it skin-side up on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, pat the skin dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt—rub it in gently. This will start pulling moisture from the skin.
Place the pork, uncovered, in the fridge to begin the drying process for 1 hour.
Dry again: After the first hour, take the pork out and pat the skin dry again, wiping off any moisture the salt has drawn out.
Return it to the fridge, uncovered, for at least 3 more hours or overnight.
Fry: Heat oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or wok to 375°F. Gently lower the pork belly in, skin-side down—this is where the magic happens. Watch closely, and move the pork gently every few minutes to avoid burning patches of skin.
Once the skin begins to blister and turns a medium brown, flip it carefully to cook the underside. Continue frying, basting the skin constantly with hot oil using a ladle.
When the meat is golden brown, lift it from the oil using a spider and continue basting the skin until it’s golden brown and crispy.
Serve: Place the pork on a wire rack and let it rest for a few minutes. This will help the skin fully crisp up as it cools. Chop into thick slices or hearty chunks.
Serve warm with dipping sauce of choice.
Notes
Be patient! Fridge-drying your pork is all about drawing out every last drop of excess moisture. The drier the meat, the better your chances at achieving that glassy, shatteringly crisp skin—a rare hallmark of perfect lechon kawali. It’s not easy, but life-changing when you get it right!
In a rush? You can speed things up by patting the pork dry with paper towels while it chills.
