Lechon

La Loma, Manila - lechon

This entry is dedicated to Jayred whose last lechon experience in Switzerland was a disappointment.

The mainstay of every barrio fiesta, lechon is the Philippines’ national food. A whole pig is cleaned out of its entrails, stuffed with banana leaves – sometimes with paella – and roasted slowly over live coals while the skin is brushed with oil colored with atsuwete (annatto) to achieve that deep reddish brown color, and traditionally served with a sweet-sour liver-based sauce. In the Philippines, you can buy them whole or by the kilo. La Loma in Manila is well-known for rows and rows of lechon outlets.

Young pigs are best for lechon – the rind (skin) is thin and there is very little fat. While lechon in the Tagalog region is rather bland without the sauce, in Cebu, the pig is stuffed with spices and seasonings wrapped in banana leaves. During roasting, the meat absorbs all the flavors and the cooked lechon is pleasantly seasoned and more aromatic.

More lechon photos in Manila & Beyond.

July 6, 2006  Print This Post   
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