Lechon Macau Recipe

The biggest difference between the lechon kawali we Pinoys love and the Chinese-inpsired version of the lechon Macau is the way it’s cooked. Lechon Macau is roasted in the oven, not deep fried in a kawali or wok. Then, there are the different types of seasonings used in the brine.

In short, it’s the roasted version of our well-loved crispy pork belly made differently but is no less delicious. 

Lechon Macau Recipe

Jeffrey G. Tan

Crispy pork belly is made tastier, juicier in this Chinese-style version of our lechon kawali.

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Prep Time 11 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Resting Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 13 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Filipino

Servings 6 to 12

Ingredients

  

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Lechon Macau Ingredients

• 1 kilogram boneless pork belly skin on
• 3 to 4 slices fresh ginger
• a pinch of Salt
• 2 tablespoons Salt more to taste
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• sea salt for roasting
• white vinegar for roasting
• water as needed

Instructions

 

• Place the pork belly in a large pot with clean water. Put it skin side down. Add the ginger and salt. Bring to a slow boil. Cook the pork belly for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the pork onto a baking tray and pat it dry. Then, using a fork, poke as many holes as possible on the pork skin. Repeat several times. After poking, rub a pinch of salt on the rind.
• Mix salt, Chinese five spice powder, and sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle this dry rub evenly onto the meat. Place on a piece of foil and wrap the underside of the belly, leaving the skin exposed. Chill in the fridge overnight, uncovered. This will dry the skin before roasting.
• Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F. Brush the vinegar onto the now-dried pork skin then cover the skin with sea salt evenly to form a protective layer. Place on a baking sheet, then place inside the preheated oven. Roast for 1 hour.
• Remove the pork from the oven and remove the salt from the pork skin. Place the pork back in the oven on the middle rack. Place an aluminum tray underneath the rack to catch any pork drippings. Turn up the temperature to 220 degrees C or 425 degrees F.
• Continue roasting the pork for another 25 to 30 minutes until the skin is crispy. Let the pork belly rest in the oven for 15 minutes until slightly cooled down. Transfer onto a carving board and chop into small serving-sized pieces. Served with mustard or hoisin sauce.

Keyword lechon kawali recipe

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