This Oven Roasted Lechon Belly Roll recipe will make any celebrations more festive and I am pretty sure you will be proud of yourself after achieving the crispiness you are looking for in a Lechon Liempo. I actually was so happy when I made this during Christmas 2020. That year was tough, but having this on our table makes me realize that anything is possible if you put your mind into it. This is one of my biggest achievements in the kitchen for 2020. It can be lame for others, but for me it is huge.

This Lechon Liempo is cooked in the oven as opposed to the traditional way of preparing it. Traditionally, Lechon is cooked by rotating it over a bed of hot charcoal until the skin is brown and crispy. Oven technique is so much easier, resulting to closer to the traditional way.

How to Make Oven Roasted Lechon Belly Roll?

Start by laying the pork belly on a flat surface. Make sure that it is free from ribs (no bones, just the meat). You can ask the butcher to remove it for you or you can slice it out yourself. Rub salt and pepper all over the meat (not the skin) and let it stand for 15 minutes. Next, arrange the ingredients you need for the inside of the belly such as the lemongrass, scallions, and onion slices. Roll the pork belly same as where the lemongrass lies (just like you do in sushi). Making sure the ends of the lemongrass is out on both sides. Using a kitchen twine, tie the rolled pork belly around. Secure it tight so that the meat holds its shape and the insides won’t come out. Rub oil all over the skin. In a preheated oven, roast the pork belly for 2 hours. Take the pork belly out of the oven and brush the skin with milk. Put it back in the oven and continue roasting for 30 minutes or until the skin is brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with Homemade Lechon Sauce.

You may also like my other Pork Belly Recipes:

Lechon sa Oven (Roasted Pork)

MindFood: Sticky Pork Belly with Steamed Coconut Buns

Braised Five-Spice Pork Belly

Binagoongan Baboy

Bicol Express

Adobong Bicol

Oven Roasted Lechon Belly Roll Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 slab pork belly (ribs removed)

salt and pepper

3 stalks lemongrass

3 pieces scallions

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 tablespoon oil (canola or vegetable)

2 tablespoons fresh milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Lay the pork belly on a flat surface, skin facing down. Rub the salt and pepper all over the meat (not the skin). Let it stand for 15 minutes.
2. Arrange the lemongrass, scallions, and onion slices on meat part of the belly. Roll the belly same as where the lemongrass lies (like you do in a sushi). Making sure the ends of the lemongrass is out on both sides. Using a kitchen twine, tie the rolled pork belly around. Secure it tight so that the meat holds its shape and the insides won’t come out. Rub oil all over the skin.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C. Arrange the pork belly roll in a roasting pan and roast it for 2 hours.
4. Remove the pork belly from the oven and brush with fresh milk. Put it back into the oven and continue roasting for 30 minutes or until the skin is brown and crispy.
5. Remove the pork belly roll from the oven and let it cool down for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with Homemade Lechon Sauce.

Serve and enjoy this Oven Roasted Lechon Belly Roll with family and friends!

NOTES:

• The slab of pork belly should be 1.5 inches thick and bones removed. Ask the butcher to remove it for you or you can do it yourself at home.
• Rub salt and pepper only into the meat, not on the skin. We don’t want the skin to crack like what we do in Oven Baked Lechon Kawali.
• Lemongrass, scallions and onion slices are the vital part of this recipe. These ingredients give the aroma and the taste we look for in a traditional lechon.
• Using a kitchen twine, tie the rolled pork belly around. Secure it tight so that the meat holds its shape and the insides won’t come out. To be honest, I thought I tightened it up enough, but once it cooks the pork gets smaller which will result it to loosen up. Good thing it held its shape but it’s not as round as log as I would like to be. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Tie that pork belly very tightly.
• Always check the pork belly from the window of the oven. Do not open the oven to ensure even cooking. Not all ovens are the same, so always check.
• Fresh milk makes the skin crispier, so after 2 hours of roasting, remove the pork belly from the oven and brush milk on the skin. Continue roasting it for additional 30 minutes or until the skin is brown and crispy.

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