To always remember, utilize and propagate native ingredients and to continuously cook Filipino dishes are some of the most important messages of Chef Michael Giovan Sarthou III in his recent demo for The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite Series. Known as a culinary heritage advocate, Chef Tatung showed his audience how to cook Stuffed Rolled Lechon Belly among many other recipes.
I am sure you have heard of the famous Cebu Lechon . As a Cebuano, no one makes lechon like we do. No worries, you can cook rolled pork belly lechon stuffed with the flavors of Cebu. Here is the recipe shared by Chef Tatung:
Serves 12
3 kilos whole pork belly, deboned, preferably a wide slab that can be rolled. annatto oil, for brushing
Marinade:
2 cups pineapple juice
3 tablespoons sea salt
6 cloves garlic, crushed
Stuffing:
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups onion leeks, white and green parts, sliced
1. Marinate pork belly in pineapple, salt and garlic for at least 3 hours or overnight. You may want to poke holes in the inside of the pork belly to allow marinade to seep into the meat.
2. To roll pork belly, first discard marinating liquid. Lay the pork on a board, skin-side down. Rub with salt and pepper. Then arrange garlic and leeks on top of the pork. Neatly roll the meat along the grain of the pork until the ends meet. Tie the joint tightly with butcher’s string at regular intervals to hold the roll together.
3. Preheat the oven to 250°C/475°F, or as high as it will go.
4. Place rolled belly on an oiled roasting tray. Roast for 30 minutes to brown and crisp the skin. Then bring down oven temperature to 177°C/350°F and roast for another 2 hours. Brush with annatto oil every now and then.
5. When pork is cooked, carve into slices. Serve with vinegar on the side.
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