Roast Pork Belly using Sampalok paste
Makes 10-12 servings

1 pc(13”x10”x2) whole pork belly w/ skin and less fat 3.1 kg
6 stalks lemongrass, pounded and cut into 13 in. long (78 g)
39 pcs Spring onions, whole, cut into 13 in. long (39 g)
½ cup Murang dahon ng sampalok (10 g)
9 pcs (12” long) Food string for tying pork, cut into 12” in. long.

Brining solution:

3 ½ cups Water (875 ml)
9 cloves Garlic ,crushed (38 g)
1 pc Onion ,chopped (45 g)
1 pc Bay leaf
1 ½ pouch Mama Sita Sinigang sa Sampalok paste (225 g)
2 tbsp Salt (24 g)
3 ½ tbsp Patis (52.5 ml)
1/8 tsp Ground black pepper

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven @250°F.

2. Combine all ingredients in a casserole. Mix well. Boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside and cool. Remove crushed garlic for the filling later.

3. Marinate pork belly in the brining solution for at least 1 day or more. Cover with cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

Arrange lemongrass, spring onions, garlic (from brining solution) in the center of the belly.

4. Roll pork and tie securely with food grade string. Place in a roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 2 hours.

5. Increase heat to 400°F.Remove foil. Bake for 2 hours and 36 minutes (turning meat from time to time) or until the skin becomes dark red in color and crispy.

6. Brush skin with cold water in the last 10 minutes of baking to crack the skin.

7. Remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string and cut into serving pieces.

The hubby isn’t as crazy about lechon but I convinced him to order one for our daughter’s christening reception at the Manila Yacht Club last year. We chose General’s Lechon as the centerpiece of our little christening party. What could be more perfect than Manila’s famous sunset viewed from the verandah of the yacht club and delectable lechon that guests are sure to talk about and crave for long after the party is over? Yes, most friends chorused it was “masarap.” They seemed to have forgotten about the other dishes that were on the buffet table

General’s lechon adopts the Negros style of cooking. The pigs are stuffed with lots of garlic, lemon grass and other secret spices before being roasted in open fire. A growing number of foodies are already labelling General’s as the best lechon in Manila at the moment. It is the only one I know that has four distinct flavors in its lechon line-up: Original, Garlic, Curry and Chili Garlic.

What’s the best flavor for me? I vote for chili-garlic! This type of lechon is stuffed with two of my favorite ingredients: none other than chili and garlic. The result has just the right amount of spiciness which, in my opinion, takes away the greasiness of the pork and lends the lechon a totally new, interesting taste.

It is also like Cebu lechon which does not need sauce or sarsa to accompany the food. You can have this lechon with vinegar or even just calamansi and salt.

Fast-forward to a year after our daughter’s christening and who’d ever imagine I’d meet the owners Bryan and Lyn Ong at an intimate lechon party in their own house? As the song goes, it’s a small world after all!

I was about 40 minutes late for the 7 p.m. call time and I arrived in the Ong kitchen with the irresistible lechon, all three big pieces if them, almost gone. Luckily, I was still able to partake of the crackling skin and the meat in the belly part which my server said is the best part of the lechon.

Rounding off the one-dish party were the perfect accompaniments to the star of the night: steamed rice, Bailon’s lumpiang sariwa and Amber pansit Malabon.

Lechon lovers all! Guilty as charged -

For orders call:

4086850, 0917-8975966

There was a time when pritchon was all the rage in Manila parties. Gourmet chefs invented all kinds of tasty sauces to go with the dish and eating pritchon can be one of the most interactive foodie experiences around. The craze has somewhat died down but am glad there are still select places you can go to when the pritchon craving hits. Like La Mesa Grill in Mall of Asia which considers it a specialty on their menu.

Photo shows the half order of pritchon (P1,999) that was served on our table. The whole family was gathered because a visiting aunt from Chicago was leaving the next day, and we were giving her a despedida dinner. Service was highly personalized as our waiter personally attended to slicing the crisp lechon, topping it with sliced onions, cucumber and celery leaves (?) and folding them over the pandan crepe. The pritchon even becomes more savory when paired with the selection of sauces, and my favorite were the hoisin and lechon sauces.

But even if our group of 12 tried hard to devour all of the suckling pig wraps, there was still some left. The waiter volunteered to cook the leftover into another dish for us, one that was sauteed into some chili garlic sauce. It was good. Was still munching over this when we got home.

Another dish we ordered that’s a unique mainstay in some Filipino restos: the “pinaupong manok” (roughly translated as the chicken that was made to sit ) From the looks of it, this fried chicken is better calling nakabiting manok (the hanging chicken) but trust Pinoys to concoct the most descriptive names for their food.

La Mesa Grill
Mall of Asia
Tel. No. 556-0737

Branches in Trinoma and SM North EDSA

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