Recipe: Lechon Belly Sinigang

Can you recognize Belly Buster Lechon when you see one? Turning leftover lechonbelly into something else other than paksiw or pritchon. Presenting saliva-inducing, asim-kilig Lechon Sinigang. So easy to make, you don't need to season it. 

Lechon Sinigang

Ingredients:

250 grams Belly Buster Lechon (with some of its herbs included to flavor the broth)

5 cups water

1 medium tomato 

1 cup sliced camias (iba) or unripe sampalok

OR

1 small pack of Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix (if no camias or sampalok fruit is available)

1/2 tsp sugar

1 medium radish sliced

A small bunch of Chinese kangkong

Procedure:

1. Add the first four ingredients and simmer until the camias or sampalok has made the broth sour enough to your liking. Remove fruit. 

2. Add sugar to offset the sourness. No need to season with salt since the Lechon is already salted. 

3. Add radish and simmer until it's cooked. 

4. Add the kangkong and turn off the fire  immediately. The remaining heat from the soup will cook the leaves further. 

Serve piping hot from the stove. Perfect compliment to other Christmas leftover meals

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Recipe: Lechon Belly Paksiw

I have been having Belly Buster Lechon for three consecutive parties and yes, I brought some home. Guilty as charged. This has to be one of the most popular food item that's being re-cooked as another dish this holiday season. 

There are about 101 ways of cooking lechon paksiw and it varies in every household. In this recipe, I use balsamic vinegar to flavor the liquid. I didn't add much aromatics since the lechon is already seasoned with them. Balsamic has intense flavor compared to white vinegar and sukang tuba. Although all vinegars have their own distinct taste, grape based balsamic vinegar compliments equally well with the lechon paksiw. 

Ingredients

250 grams Belly Buster lechon (preferably meat and skin)

1 small onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 tsp crushed peppercorns 

1 bayleaf

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 pc. jalapeño pepper (optional)

Water

Procedure 

1. In a deep pan, add the lechon, onion and garlic and lightly stirfry them on medium heat until the lechon has browned a bit on its sides. This process eliminates adding additional oil. The existing fat from the lechon will do the browning. 

Drain excess fat if present. 

2. Add the peppercorn, bayleaf, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Jalapeño pepper is optional. Add water until meat is partially covered. 

3. Simmer on low heat for 30 mins. 

4. Season with salt or light soy sauce according to taste. (I personally don't add salt anymore since the lechon is already seasoned well. 

Tip: For a thicker, glaze-like sauce, add a thin cornstarch slurry towards the end of cooking. 

Serve piping hot with rice. 

Lechon Paksiw also keeps well in the freezer in sealed containers. Great for breakfast during chilly mornings. 

Might as well keep these until 2017!

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