Filipino Lechon Belly Recipe (Roasted Pork Belly)
This recipe for Lechon Belly will show you how to make the best Cebuchon roll at home.
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Stock pot
- Large container for brining
- Grill
- Twine
- Rotisserie attachment for your grill
- brush
- Drip tray
Ingredients
BRINE
- 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
- 2 stalks lemongrass cut into 3 inch sections and sliced in the middle
- 10 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 tbsp black peppercorn
- 1 star anise
- ½ medium white onion sliced thinly
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp salt
- 56 fl oz filtered water
- 2 fl oz white vinegar
- 4 lb pork belly w/ skin intact
STUFFING
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 stalks lemongrass cut in half & cut to fit width of the pork belly
- 20 cloves garlic sliced thinly
- 4 bay leaves
- ¾ tsp (1.5 g) black pepper ground
- ¼ medium white onion sliced thinly
- 6 stalks green onions with roots cut off
- 1 fl oz milk (basting the pork belly)
Instructions
BRINE
- Combine all of the brine ingredients, except the pork and vinegar, in a large stockpot. Stir. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for ten minutes.
- Let the pot cool on the stove for a few minutes. Mix the vinegar with the pot once it has cooled.
- Make sure the pork is turned so that the skin is facing downward. You can score the meat with a knife in diagonal lines along the pork belly. You should aim to score the meat about half an inch or less deep with 1 space between each line. Repeat the scoring process by turning your pork belly 180°. Your score should be diamond-shaped.
- Combine the pork and brine in a container. Cover the pork with the brine mixture.
STUFFING
- After brining the pork, place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and let dry with paper towels. Season the pork with pepper & salt .Layer the ingredients for the stuffing. Layer the garlic slices between the folds. Next, add the onions slices, bay leaves, green onions, and lemongrass strips.
- Cut about 4-6 twine strands that are 3-4 inches long. This should be enough to cover the width of your pork belly. Each strand should be carefully taken and placed underneath the pork. You should try to reach the edges as closely as possible (about 1" from the edge).
- Your rotisserie rack pole should be placed in the middle.
- The pork belly should be rolled. Roll the pork belly on both sides. Wrap each twine strand in twine and tie. Continue this process until you have a complete roll. If your rotisserie has them, add the clamps to either side of your pork belly to keep it in place.
GRILLING
- Turn on the grill, place your belly on the plate and then add the drip tray to catch the fat. Serve with milk.
- For 2-3 hours, grill at 180 degrees F. My grill only required me to turn on one burner at the lowest heat. It maintained 180 degrees F. To ensure that things are on the right track, check the meat and grill temperature and make sure to baste with milk once every 30 minutes. This is what a final product should look like.
- Once the meat reaches 125-130degF internal temperature, increase the heat to 350-375degF for 45 minutes. Check the temperature of your grill by baste every 15 minutes. You're done when the skin is crispy and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. To ensure that the belly doesn't burn, do not leave the grill unattended towards the end of grilling. This is how the skin should look after it has finished crisping up.
- Allow it to cool, then remove the rod from the rotiserrie. Slice and chop and then serve.