Cebu is known for having the best lechon in the Philippines. This version of Cebu Lechon Belly has a skin so crispy and meat so tender and juicy. Made tasty with simple herbs and spices like lemongrass, spring onions, garlic, and chili brings out the awesome flavor of this dish. Cooking this recipe takes few hours, but Its worth the wait!!

Full Recipe:

	Cuisine	Filipino / Italian
	Prep Time	45 minutes
	Cook Time	4 hours
	Servings	8 people

Ingredients:

• 3 kg pork belly (bones removed)
• 1 tbsp rosemary
• 3 sticks sliced lemon grass, for marinade
• 5 sticks lemon grass (inserted in pork belly)
• 1 pack magic sarap
• 2 gloves garlic
• 2 tsp knorr seasoning
• 2 pcs onion, sliced
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 2 pcs sliced spring onions, for marinade
• 6 pcs spring onions (inserted in pork belly)
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 pcs bay leaves
• 3 pcs star anise
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 12 pcs red chili, chopped

Instructions:

1. Pat dry the pork belly with paper towel
2. Poke surface of the pork skin with fork or small knife
3. Rub pork skin with salt and ground black pepper
4. Cut portion of pork meat diagonally and ensure that it won’t pierce through the skin. Rub with salt and black pepper into center of the pork meat.
5. Add magic sarap and rub all over the pork meat
6. Prepare the marinade/mixture
   • Ready your electric blender and put in garlic, magic sarap, rosemary
   • Add onions, lemon grass and spring onions
   • Add soy sauce and knorr seasoning
   • Blend the ingredients for 2 minutes. Mix and ensure that all ingredients are blended together
7. Rub the mixture into pork meat
8. Place lemon grass and spring onions at the center of the pork meat
9. Add red chili
10. Roll pork belly ending with skin side up and tie with kitchen twine. Tie with kitchen twine into multiple places to secure shape
11. Prepare soy sauce mixed with oil to brush with pork
12. Rub the soy sauce mixture all over the pork. Cover with foil and let it rest for 45 minutes
13. Pre-heat oven at 250c for 10 minutes
14. Prepare the steam mixture
    • Add garlic, chopped lemon grass and spring onions into baking pan
    • Add chopped onions, star anis and bay leaves
    • Add ground black pepper, soy sauce and water
15. Put steam mixture in oven, and ensure to put it below the pork belly for steaming
16. Lower oven temperature to 180c and bake for 1 hour
17. After 1 hour, remove the pork belly from oven and brush with soy sauce mixture
18. Remove pork belly from foil and bake for another 3 hours
19. Please note:
    • Put temperature to 200c for first 2 hours and 250c for last 1 hour
    • The last 1 hour is crucial to make the pork skin crispy and golden brown
20. Serve and chop the lechon pork belly and serve while hot with skin so crispy and meat so juicy

Enjoy the dish!

Watch how to cook Spicy Lechon Pork Belly