For as long as I can remember, “Lechon baboy” has always been a popular Filipino cuisine that is commonly reserved only for special occasion such as festivities or celebrations. Originally, the name Lechon was obtained from the Spanish word meaning “suckling pig”, which is a piglet that is killed between the ages of two to six weeks and traditionally roasted.
When I was a kid, my grandma would tell random stories about our culture. My siblings and I would sit there fascinated as we listened attentively to the story. She once told us the story about one of the most popular dishes in the Philippines called “lechon”. It was said that lechon was discovered when a pet pig was trapped in a burning house. After that fire, the owners of that house were stunned as they saw their pet pig that is now scorched, burnished and skin glistening from the heat. Out of curiosity they touched the pig. Their fingers blistered for the it was still too hot! Intuitively, they licked their fingers in hopes to cool them and this the discovery of how delightful roasted pork tasted. Gullible and naïve young kids we were, we believed this story. Amazed at the people back then on how intrepid enough by the discovery of my favorite food.
The traditional way of making lechon is to marinate the pig with salt, pepper and fish sauce for a day before stuffing it with herbs that are pounded to bring out the aromas and flavors. The pig is then slow roasted for three to four hours, traditionally over an open fire with charcoal, or in a brick oven. However, throughout the years, Filipinos have honed their skill to perfection in roasting the perfect and absolute centerpiece of their feasts and festivities.
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It is prepared by cleaning the whole pig very thoroughly, taking the pig’s internal organs out at the belly’s opening. After cleaning, seasonings are stuffed into the pig’s stomach such as garlic, onions, soy sauce, salt, and monosodium glutamate.
Lemon grass is a very important season to add for is has a flavor profile all its own. While it is citrusy with a lemony flavor, it tastes almost like a mix of lemon and lemon mint. The flavor is moderately light and does not overpower other flavors in a dish. It also adds a slightly sharp and piquant taste without the bitterness of lemon. The measurements of the seasonings are according to the preferred taste. Sampaloc or Taramid leaves are paired along with lemon grass. The leaves are evergreen, and it would be sour in taste too. The leaves inside the pig’s cavity with either rice or loaf of bread then stitching it.
When the everything are all stuffed in, the pig’s stomach is stitched to keep the seasonings from spilling out. The whole pig is skewered on a clean bamboo pole like a barbecue. The pig is then soaked in soy sauce and roasted over live charcoal.
I’ve heard numerous people claim they have their own secrets in making the skin very crisp like adding lemon soda, expensive oils, or sugar and soy sauce. All these things perhaps do contribute to the crisp, but the biggest secret in crispy lechon skin is no big secret. In fact, it’s just in the way it is being roasted.
Now for roasting the pig is a straightforward, time-consuming. It takes about two to four hours to cook the lechon. The pig was placed very low towards the ground, with the heat of the coals regulated by a rake or a stick that pushed the coals closer and closer to the pig to increase the heat. Coconut water gave the lechon’s wonderful reddish-brown color, you can’t deny that it will really taste good in the palate.
Lechon is served best when it’s hot; though there were a few times I burned my fingers because they served it exactly as they took it from the blazing heat of charcoal. For Filipinos, lechon is generally criticized by the crispiness of its skin. Guests would always pick or have some skin part of the lechon first before anything else. Everyone loves the taste of the skin and the crunch that it makes during the bite because of its crispness. When I was a kid, I used to run like a ninja when people were starting to cut the pig because I know that the first thing that will disappear is the skin.
Another reason why lechon is so far my favorite food is because of its natural juiciness in its taste. Inside the meat of the lechon, some cooks are putting a lot of spices or herbs that will make the scent of the lechon mouthwatering. It is perfectly cook that you can see and feel the juiciness of the meat every time you picked on it. The fat of the dish also contributes to the taste of the food, it’s tasty and you can taste the luscious ingredients that were mixed during the preparation of the meat.
The countless requests I made to my stepdad and my mom to order lechon whenever we have a celebration, big or small, thinking that the simplicity and familiarity of the food and the comfort of the people I care the most would make me feel at better. It’s not just the visual impact that makes lechon so important to Filipino gatherings; For most people, the amount of time and effort in preparing and cooking the dish means that its presence at a meal is an indication to the significance of the event. That is the reason why lechon is always eaten at special meals. Philippine lechon is truly one of a kind. Filipinos are not the only ones going crazy about this dish, but a lot of foreign people are fond to eat it as well. There are a bunch of people who are curious about this dish but once you tried it, I guarantee it for sure that it will knock you out and make you crave for more. My favorite food is lechon, not only that it tastes good but also, it is considered as the best roasted dish that we Filipinos can boast and be proud of. It is the dish done always with a labor of love to satisfy everyone’s palate and stomach.
