Pork Belly Lechon Roll is slow-roasted in the oven for super crispy skin and super moist meat. There is 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 this pork delicacy is a mainstay in Filipino's parties and celebrations, I am revamping my liempo version with brand new photos to give you a more accessible and economical option to serving a whole spit-roasted 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 their party menu. Since they had a wide variety of food, it was mostly untouched.
I kept staring at the leftover carcass and thinking to myself how a lechon sa hurno would have cost way less than the $300 they paid for the suckling pig and would have had a lot more edible meat. It won'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. 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, but lucky it even made it through the short photo shoot because I couldn't stop digging in between shots. Those crispy yet juicy pork morsels were begging to be dipped in liver sauce!
Like I said before, I'm not sure what culinary magic happens during the low and slow roasting, but this method turns the liempo into the moistest meat and crispiest crackling you'll ever have. A must on Noche Buena!
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.
Helpful tips
- 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.
How to serve and store
- Lechon pork belly makes an impressive and delicious addition to any special occasion or holiday celebration. Serve it with steamed rice and your favorite dipping sauce!
- This oven-roasted pork stays crunchy longer than most lechon recipes I've tried. Keep it uncovered especially when freshly cooked to prevent the escaping heat from steaming up the skin.
- Unfortunately, it doesn't store well as it loses crunchiness over time. Use leftovers as soon as possible in pinakbet, sisig, or paksiw!
More Noche Buena recipes
Thank you so much for making Kawaling Pinoy a part of your holiday celebrations. I am grateful to you.
Ingredients
- 1 (6 to 7 pounds) whole pork belly without ribs
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- ยฝ teaspoon pepper
- ยฝ 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 ยฝ hours.
- Increase temperature to 320 F and continue to cook for about 1 ยฝ 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.
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
MsAdelady says
Thank you for people like you in the internet with your awesome recipes specially this Lechon Belly Recipe. Cheers.
Ziggy says
How do you adjust the cooking time for different size rolls? At what intrrnal temperatures do yiu transition from 180F to 320F to 430F?
Marga says
Does the roasting rack have to be round or the flat one is ok?
Lalaine Manalo says
A flat one is ok, as long as the pork belly is elevated.
Alice says
hello Lalaine
Iโm a big fan and follower of yours and want to try this lechon roll. Can you kindly tell me if I need to fill water in the roasting pan or do I leave the pan dry? Would appreciate your expert as vice pls.
Merry Christmas
Alice
Lalaine Manalo says
Hello, Alice,
Don't put water in the roasting pan. The rack will elevate the pork belly so it won't burn. It will render fat during cooking which would drip in the pan.
Eddie says
thank you for sharing ma'am absolutely mouth watering.
Edna Fucci says
Very good and easy to follow recipe.
Mary says
Hello Lalaine ask ko lang paano kapag sa airfryer anong temp nโya and How long to cook please
Lalaine Manalo says
Hello. Unfortunately, I haven't tried this in an airfryer so I can't suggest a temperature and guarantee the same results. I will be testing this cooking method soon and will be posting the results on the blog, but in the meantime, please try this oven method. I promise you won't be disappointed and worth the effort!!
WILLIAM C LOBUR says
Can I cook this in my smoker?
Dominic says
Easy to follow and the outcome is awesome, great pork flavor, moist meat and the pork skin is crunchy from tip to tip. The skin also stays crunchy even after 2 days in the fridge.
Tips
I bought pork belly with skin from Costco, approx 12 lbs.
I doubled everything except for the vinegar
Rolled it lengthwise, almost 2 ft long.
Make sure to pierce the skin per the recipe and put in fridge overnight.
One last but important tip, when ready to eat, wear stretchy pants ๐
Thank you for the recipe
Mayeth says
Itโs my very first attempt of making lechon belly . I followed everything and it turned out so well that even my german in law's almost ate it all ๐ค i got a very good compliment from them for our noche buena โฆ thank you for sharing this .. greetings from Mayeth in Germany โฆ
SurethingRackie@21 says
Why is your YouTube video done after 3-1/2 hours of low and slow roasting? Your recipe calls for an additional 1-1/2 hours at 320 F and another 30-40 minutes at 420 F before the entire oven process is complete.
Cecilia says
Can u make kechone from a 4 lb pork belly