Nothing beats a good holiday meal, especially as this often involves a gorgeous and appetizingly fragrant array of other dishes on the dinner table. But what often goes unnoticed is the creativity and resourcefulness that comes from making the most of the dishes left over. Because even if the holidays and the celebrations have come to a stop, the good food surely doesn’t. A brilliant example of this is the vinegar-infused, but refreshingly sweet and savory Lechon Paksiw.
What is Lechon Paksiw?
A lovely intermingling of some of the best ingredients from the tender roasted pig or lechon to the engagingly bittersweet flavors of vinegar and bay leaves, this is a dish that almost makes you look forward to the day after a Filipino celebration. Lechon Paksiw involves transforming your meat from a day before into a flavorful, tangy stew. You do this through a slow simmering process for the graceful integration of tasty meat with tangy flavors. With this, you no longer need to dip your lechon into sauce. The rich taste has already been absorbed by the meat, along with other seasonings to enliven the dish.
Lechon, needless to say, is already a pretty tasty dish, in itself– what with a delightfully crispy texture and juiciness that is hard to beat. The spit roasting process involves sticking a metal or wooden rod through the pig, and placing it above a fire. This creates the one of a kind taste and texture of the lechon. But you can arguably make this better through the paksiw process, which entails creating a stew of ingredients with vinegar.
What can I make Easy Lechon Paksiw with?
Because this dish is famous for being paired with leftovers, this will go great with remnants of Lechon Kawali. This is usually cooked in several servings, especially for groups and celebrations. And so more often than not, there will be some of these well-seasoned, crispy pork belly left behind. Try to use some of these with paksiw! But if you are still in the process of cooking your own, there’s no need to worry. The recipe linked above will be easy to follow, and will only take around an hour to make.
An essential part of the Lechon Paksiw, of course, is the mildly sour and spicy stew it comes along with. And Lechon Sauce plays a massive role in bringing that kind of flavor into the stew. And while store-bought sauce can usually be found in your local market, there is always the option of making it from scratch. This also enables you to adjust the source to your own taste. Click on the link above to learn how to make this delicious sarsa in only about half an hour!
What is another Lechon variant I could try if I am not in the mood for stew?
If you would like to make the most of your pork in creating a crunchy, succulent meal, this recipe might appeal to you. The Lechon Pata is made of pig legs soaked with a plethora of savory seasonings. This includes lemongrass and peppercorn that provide some of the best flavors.
But if you are still looking to make your own fresh pot of tangy, piquant Easy Lechon Paksiw, read on for the steps to follow!
How do I make my own Easy Lechon Paksiw?
Let us begin by grabbing 2 ½ lbs of pork lechon, and chopping it into serving pieces. Then take a large cooking pot to fit the lechon, and pour 2 ½ cups of water. Wait for it to boil. Once it has started boiling, we can add our seasoning. With this, place 5 cloves of garlic that has been chopped, 2 onions that are also chopped, 2 teaspoons of whole peppercorn, and 5 pieces of dried bay leaves. Then cover the pot and let this boil for 5 minutes.
And for an added factor of saporous taste, add 1 Knorr Pork Cube. Also pour in ½ cup of white vinegar, which should provide the much needed sour flavor into the mix. Once again, cover the pot and let this boil. When it is boiling again, adjust the heat between low to medium, and let this simmer for 30 minutes.
Then proceed to put 3 cups of lechon sauce into the pot. Stir it well into the mix, and cook this for 15 minutes. Then we will season our Lechon Paksiw with ¼ cup of white sugar and salt to taste. Also make sure to adjust your sugar to the lechon sauce you might have. This is because some variants can be sweeter than others. Cook this for 3 minutes more, and then your sweet and spicy stew of crunchy pork lechon will be good for serving.
Transfer your dish onto a serving bowl. You can enjoy this best with a cup of warm rice. But also feel free to choose another side dish of your choice.
Let us know if you enjoyed this classic rendition of the flavorful Lechon Paksiw!
Lechon Paksiw
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs. pork lechon
- 1 piece Knorr Pork Cube
- 3 cups lechon sauce
- 2 pieces onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 5 pieces dried bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons whole peppercorn
- 2 ½ cups water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop the lechon into serving pieces. Place in a large cooking pot and add water. Bring to a boil.
- Add garlic, onion, whole peppercorn, and dried bay leaves. Cover the pot. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Add Knorr Pork Cube and vinegar. Cover the pot. Let boil. Adjust the heat between low to medium. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Pour lechon sauce into the pan. Stir. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Add sugar and season with salt. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with rice.
Rocky Fagutao says
So easy to follow the cooking instructions and definitely got the result and taste I’ve been craving for a lechon na paksiw. Was not cooking this before because I never thought this is an easy meal to prepare. Thank you Chef Vanjo. You’re the best