Lechon kawali, also known as pan-roasted pork, is sometimes confused with lechon, a popular Filipino dish that is also the country of the Philippines. While lechon is cooked in a pit of burning charcoal, lechon kawali is prepared by first boiling and then deep-frying a piece of the pig (often the pork belly).
Please serve a cup of rice and a lechon kawali! When I was in high school, I would typically order this at least once a week. One of the better versions of this dish is served in our school cafeteria. The pork is tastiest when it has just been taken out of the pot. It is quite hot and crispy.
Lechon Kawali: What Is It?
The most straightforward way to define lechon kawali is as crispy deep-fried pork. Typically, it is prepared with pork belly, also known as liempo. White rice should be served alongside this dish for lunch or dinner. It tastes good with dipping sauce as well.
This meal should not be confused with lechon, which is regarded as the Philippines’ national cuisine. Different techniques are used to cook the two dishes. Additionally, they differ in terms of appearance.
Lechon kawali is named after the Kawali, a traditional cooking pan used to prepare it. It is the standard pan that is present in practically every Filipino home. The “go-to” pan for everyday cooking is this one.
The term “lechon” was likely adopted to alludes to the crunchy texture of the classic lechon baboy.
Cooking Lechon Kawali
The preparation of lechon kawali involves two steps. The pig belly is boiled in the first step before being deep-fried until the skin is crispy.
First, let’s discuss the boiling procedure. To get that result of crispy skin, this is required. The results of simply frying pork without boiling will differ.
The pork belly must become extremely soft during this process. In a large saucepan, begin by bringing water to a boil. I also season with salt and other ingredients. While the pork is boiling, the flavors are absorbed. The bare minimum is thirty minutes. If more time is needed, feel free to extend it. When creating crispy pata, the procedure is the same.
The skin of the pork belly becomes crispy and golden brown when it is deep-fried. To do this, warm up some oil in a large cooking pot. Before frying the boiled pig belly, make sure to season it thoroughly. It contributes to adding flavor.
Put a piece of pork belly into the heated oil in the pan with caution, and keep your guard up by holding the pot lid. If required, partially cover the area as hot oil begins to splatter. Completely covering the pot is not advised because it holds the steam that eventually turns to water. As a result, when oil drips from the base of the cover, it splatters more. Cook the pork belly over medium heat until it is crispy. Here is a useful forum where you can learn more about frying oil splatter mitigation. When not enough oil is utilized, it is advised to flip the pork belly over to intricately fried the other side. Your lechon kawali will be cooked consistently in this way.
The deep-fried pork should be placed on a wire rack to cool. Cut into pieces for serving. The ideal accompaniment to this is lechon sauce. As a dipping sauce, you can alternatively use a soy sauce and calamines mixture.
Try this recipe for lechon kawali. Tell me what you believe.
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