Pork Belly Lechon Roll slow roasted in the oven with super crispy skin and super moist meat. No need to order a whole pig, this Filipino-style porchetta is easy to make and sure to be the star of any party!
This pork belly lechon roll was first published on the blog in 2014, but since the biggest holidays of the year are at our doorstep, and lechon is a mainstay at most Filipino’s parties and celebrations, I am reposting this liempo version with brand new photos to give you a more accessible and economical option to serving a whole pig.
Oven-roasting has been my favorite way to cook lechon kawali ever since I learned the method by accident years ago. It’s a technique I also use on crispy pork shoulder and always had great results.
However, it never occurred to me that I could mimic the taste and appearance of a roast pig by stuffing the pork belly with lemongrass and rolling it into a log until I attended a family event in Northern California.
It was baptismal of this little cutie above, my brother’s youngest boy, and a whole Lechon was the centerpiece of the party menu. Since they had a wide variety of food, the pig was mostly untouched.
I kept staring at the leftover carcass and thinking to myself how a lechon sa hurno would have cost lot way less than the $300 they paid for the suckling pig and would have had lot more edible meat. Chopped up Lechon kawali, though, wouldn’t be as impressive on the buffet table but turning the belly into porchetta would be fancy enough for company.
I left the party with a roasted liempo roll idea brewing in my head and feeling mighty proud of myself for coming up with an original recipe, only to have my vanity squashed fast. A quick research online, and I realized Lechon pork belly had been a THING long before I even thought of it!
This oven-roasted pork belly I made last weekend was massive at almost two feet long, but unfortunately, I don’t have photos of the whole piece because I was shooting and shooting and didn’t realize until after I’ve already sliced a portion that I didn’t have my SD card in the camera. Duh.
Fortunately, I noticed the warning on my camera before I cut the belly roll into pieces. Lucky it even made it through the short photoshoot because I was so excited to chop it up and dig in. Those crispy yet juicy pork morsels were begging to be dipped in liver sauce!
I am sure you’re excited, too, so enough of my long-winded stories and let’s get on with the recipe 🙂
Tools You Will Need:
- Kitchen twine to secure the meat into a log
- Roasting rack to allow heat to circulate around the pork. Make sure it’s set on a pan to catch oil drips.
Tips on How to Make Oven-Roasted Pork Belly Lechon Roll
- This hurno method takes roughly 6 to 7 hours; use the largest piece of boneless pork belly you can find to make it worth your while.
- Prick the skin all over without piercing the meat to help it crisp up.
- Refrigerate the meat overnight uncovered and with skin side up to dry out. This step, again, is to make the skin super crunchy.
- Do not overstuff the belly as you want to be able to roll it with a little overlap.
- Tie the twine not too tight but just enough to fully secure the roll as the skin will expand as it crisps and puffs up during roasting.
- Make sure to use a roasting rack set on a pan so the heat will circulate the pork and allow it to be brown all over.
- For super moist meat, give the roast belly a few minutes before cutting to allow the juices to redistribute.
- Lemongrass is very fibrous, and it’s used in this recipe primarily to infuse flavor and aroma so you can pull the stalks out when ready to cut.
I hope you’ve been enjoying our holiday recipe series and check back here often as I have more delicious Noche Buena ideas coming up in the next few days to add to this list below.
Noche Buena Recipes
- Fruit Cocktail Graham Float
- Oven-roasted Pig Head
- Bringhe
- Cathedral Window Gelatin
- Chicken Sopas
- Kalamay Kapit
- Chicken Macaroni Salad
- Pasta Fruit Salad
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Beef in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Thank you so much for making Kawaling Pinoy a part of your holiday celebrations. I am grateful for you.
Pork Belly Lechon Roll
Ingredients
- 1 (6 to 7 pounds) whole pork belly without ribs
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 4 shallots, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
Instructions
- With a small knife, poke surface of the skin all over without piercing the meat.
- Pour the vinegar, massaging onto the belly. Season with salt and pepper.
- With a knife, cut the thinner top portion of the lemongrass stalk and the very woody base. Peel off the tougher outer layers to get to the tender part of the stalk. With the back of a knife, pound the stalk a few times.
- Place the pork belly skin side down on a flat working surface. On the longer side of the belly, arrange the lemongrass stalks, onions, and garlic horizontally on the lower part of the belly.
- Roll pork belly into a tight log, ending with skin side up. Using kitchen twine, tie on three to four places to secure shape.
- Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight to chill.
- Using paper towels, pat down surfaces of meat to completely dry. Place the belly roll on a roasting pan fitted with a rack.
- Bake in a preheated 180 F oven for about 3 1/2 hours.
- Increase temperature to 320 F and continue to cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is cooked through and browns.
- Increase temperature to 430 F and continue to cook for about 30 to 40 minutes or until skin is very crisp.
- Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Video
Nutrition
Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ve tried a lot of lechon belly recipes before this one, and I cant just get the crispiness I was looking for. Thank you so much! Have tried your other recipes as well, and all of them are delicious. Your recipes are legit!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Glad it worked out for you! 🙂
Very informative,and inspiring.tnx lalaine..My shipmates luv ur recipes.A happy shipshape environment.
Thank you so much, Marlon, for the 5-stars. I am glad you’re enjoying the recipes and find them useful. Happy holidays!
Hi! I have a 1.5kg pork belly (about half what you use in this recipe). Would I just half the cooking times at each stage? Thanks
Is there a video for this?
Yes, there is a video. I shared it on Facebook but I haven’t uploaded it on the site yet. Will do it today 🙂
Can you put the roll in the slow cooker first and then roast it in the oven at high temp just like your slow cooker lechon?
Hi Melissa,
I actually have a recipe for slow cooker lechon https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/slow-cooker-lechon/. I haven’t tried it rolled, though, but the methods should work with a few adjustments in cook time. 🙂
Hi lalaine there’s no need to boil jntil tender the pork befire put in the oven tnx
HI Rheler,
No need to boil it. The belly will cook in low temperature and the skin will crisp when you crank up the heat. 🙂
Hi, I just wanted to confirm if the pork belly you use has the skin/rind off?
Yes, with skin on. It will keep the meat moist while it crisps 🙂
Lalaine, what’s the difference between this and the lechon sa Hurno? I know the temperature of the oven for this pork belly lechon roll is higher. I’ve successfully made the Hurno but I want to make the roll for a party on Saturday. I don’t want to risk it not being crispy 🙁 My son requested lechon but after I saw the price (smallest $280), I said forget it!!! Please advise me on the temperature of Lechon Roll.
Thanks Lalaine 🙂
Hi Cyndy
I cooked this again today and I used the temps for lechon sa hurno. Much better skin!
Saw your photos on Instagram, I hope your guests enjoyed your pork belly roll 🙂
I love your recipes..this lechon looks crispy and sarap deffinitely Ill try this tomorrow for my girls birthday bash:).I already tried some of your recipes and they are always ahit..thanks for sharin
I’m jealous, I’ve always been dreaming to a travel to San Fransisco! I’ve even forgot what I was looking for first:)
Amazing recipe, very helpful to impress guests!
San Francisco is beautiful, it is one my favorite cities 🙂
Hi,
would this work if we grill the pork instead of using the oven?
or a turbo broiler?
this really looks promising!!!
Hi Carmela
Unfortunately, I’ve never tried lechon on a grill or turbo broiler before so I can’t guarantee results. A friend of mine who tried this on a turbo said the skin did come out golden and crisp but too hard to bite into.
Welcome back! We made your Yema and Kare-Kare for the bf’s family for Thanksgiving and they were a hit (as always!)
And I myself was quite shocked to have found out that their ordered Lechon was close to $60 (plus it tasted too much of anise)! Oh boy.
Thanks, Harvey. I am glad you had a delicious, happy Thanksgiving with your loved ones 🙂
This looks delish! I will try this soon. I was wondering why I haven’t heard anything from you. The good thing is you were able to relax and spend quality time with family. And yes, Paeng is so adorable! ❤️❤️❤️. Glad that you’re back and ready for Christmas recipes for us… You just don’t know how I am So looking forward for more recipes from you. Thank you so much for taking time to do this. You are indeed , ” the best”!
Thanks, Princess. It’s so nice to know I was missed 🙂
Atleast you find time to relax for a while together with your family and love ones, seeing Liane is just looking at your photo, parang pinagbiyak po sbi nga nila…
Hello Regina
Oo nga, younger version ko ang dalaga ko. Mas maputi nga lang at mas matangkad. 🙂