Lechon is considered one of the Philippines’ most beloved national dishes, if not the national dish, reflecting the country’s love of pork and feasts. Learn about the history of lechon and how this roasted pig dish originated:
What is Lechon?
Lechon comes from the Spanish word leche, meaning “milk,” and originally referred to a milk-fed, whole roasted suckling piglet.
In the Philippines, however, lechon refers to a whole roasted adult pig that is slowly rotated over an open charcoal grill to achieve crisp skin and tender, succulent meat.
Pre-Hispanic Origins
Long before the Spaniards set foot in Asian countries, roasted pork had already been a part of Austronesian cultures, which include peoples in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Madagascar.
Pigs originated in China, and traders introduced the species throughout Southeast Asia and Oceania, even teaching local populations about cooking pork and roasting pigs.
Spanish Influence on Lechon
While the practice of roasting pigs existed in the Philippines before the Spanish arrival, it was the Spaniards who introduced the term lechon to describe the process of roasting a whole pig.
In fact, lechon, lechon asado, and lechon are names for roasted pork in countries like Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia.
Historically, during the years of the Spanish Inquisition, the Spanish tested Muslims and Jews converting to Christianity by having them eat pork. In the Philippines, they observed the diverse religions in the country and promoted pork to spread their culture and religion.
Lechon of the Philippines
Lechon is one of the Philippines’ national dishes that is commonly served
during feasts, fiestas, holidays, celebrations, and gatherings for family and friends.
Throughout the country, there are regional variations of how lechon is prepared. In Manila, lechon is eaten with lechon sauce which is a liver-based gravy.
In Cebu, where locals have deep pride in how they cook the pig, lechon is stuffed with herbs like lemongrass, spring onions, bay leaves, and a lot of garlic before it is cooked over charcoal for hours.
With such a large pig, there are always leftovers, similar to Thanksgiving leftovers. In the case of lechon, the leftover dish is called paksiw na lechon which basically stews the skin, meat, and bones in a vinegar-based gravy. It doesn’t look pretty, but it’s definitely a highlight of the next day.
Like adobo, lechon existed thanks to Chinese influence and was given its official name when the Spanish colonized the country.
What to do with leftover lechon
Lechon paksiw is a Filipino pork dish made using leftover lechon or lechon kawali. Lechon refers to spit-roasted pig. A whole pig is prepared and skewered in a spit (a long bamboo rod) and then roasted over charcoal. Lechon kawali, on the other hand, is a crispy pork belly dish wherein a strip of pork belly is boiled and then deep-fried until it gets crispy.
Lechon Paksiw
The leftovers of the two dishes mentioned earlier are used to prepare lechon paksiw. The pork is basically sautéed in onion, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorn and then cooked in liver sauce. The sauce is typically served as a dipping sauce, but it is used as a seasoning for this dish. You can use commercial lechon sauce such as Mang Tomas or you can make your own using this lechon sauce recipe.
This dish is best eaten with rice. It can last for more than a week if kept inside the refrigerator because it contains vinegar, which is an ingredient known to extend the life of food for a few more days.
How to cook Lechon Paksiw
Pour 3 tablespoons of cooking oil into your pot, and add 1 medium yellow onion and 4 cloves of minced garlic to the pot and proceed to sauté your ingredients together. Keep this up until they soften.
Now we can incorporate 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns, and 5 dried bay leaves. Continue cooking your mixture for 2 minutes, and then it’s time to add our delicious meat component! Get your 2 lbs. of leftover lechon, otherwise known as spit-roasted pig. Lechon kawali will also do.
Stir up the pot, and then cook it for 2 to 3 more minutes. Then grab your
11 ounces of lechon sauce and pour this all over the mixture. You should also add 2 cups of beef broth. Let it boil. When it begins to boil, cover and cook it for 30 minutes on low heat. If your sauce gets dry, pour more water or beef broth.
Adding the last few seasonings:
Put 4 tablespoons of white vinegar in the pot. Once again, wait for the sauce to boil then stir your mixture. Continue cooking this for 5 minutes. Incorporate 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar, as well as some salt. You can put as much as would want, depending on how salty you prefer your Lechon Paksiw. And that’s it!
You now have some rich, delicious Lechon Paksiw that’s good for 4 people. Best served with hot, steamed rice. Enjoy!
