Cebu-Style Boneless Lechon Recipe

Make your marinade: In a large pot on high heat, add water, 2 heads of smashed garlic, 8 pieces red chili peppers, 1 red onion, 1 stalk of onion leak, 1 bruised stalk of lemon grass, 2 pieces anise, 2 pieces bay leaves, 1 tablespoon peppercorn, 1 inch of ginger. soy sauce, ¼ cup salt, and ¼ cup sugar. When mixture start to boil, drop to medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool the mixture down.

As your mixture is cooling, prepare the pork slab: Make sure that it's shaved, that it's cut into an even rectangle, and the thickness is more or less even as well. Now, with the skin side down, using a sharp knife, score the meat diagonally 1.5 inches apart, cutting deep but taking care not to go through the skin. Make a crisscross pattern. This will allow the flavors to fully penetrate every part.

In a large enough freezer bag or big pot, place together pork and marinade. Massage the pork for 3 minutes. With the pork and marinade sealed in or covered, place in your refrigerator overnight to 3 days.

Make a dry rub: using a food processor, blender, or by chopping finely, mix together 2 heads of garlic, 8 red chili peppers, 1 medium red onion, 2 pieces star anise, 2 pieces bay leaves, 1/2 tablespoon peppercorn, and 1 inch ginger. Set aside.

After marinating, wash off marinade from the pork. Pat the pork dry with a towel. Place pork, skin side down on a clean surface. Sprinkle on salt and pepper evenly and rub into every crevice. Then, evenly distribute the dry rub through the whole slab. 

Place 1 stalk of onion leak and 1 stalk of tanglad in the middle and roll. Tie twine around the pork. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for three hours to overnight, uncovered in the refrigerator.

Make basting mixture: Mix together evaporated milk and water. Brush all sides of the lechon. Completely wrap lechon in foil and place on a roasting rack. Or, simply place on the middle rack of your oven, then place a large enough baking pan or tray at the bottom rack of the oven to catch the drippings.

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit or 180 Celsius then place the lechon. After two hours, remove the foil and continue cooking for 2 hours or more. Adjust the placement of your lechon every 20 minutes to keep the skin from burning. Remove from the oven once skin is crispy. Make sure to rest lechon for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with your favorite vinegar.