PHOTOGRAPHY:MICHAEL ANGELO CHUA.TEXT AND STYLING:CHINO L. CRUZ.LECHON
Nothing says, “it’s
the holidays” quite
like succulent lechon.
If you’re not sure
what to do with
the extra meat and
bones, here are a few
fun ideas to help you
shake things up.Editorial assistant Chino L. Cruz inspires
you to turn staples into creative dishes1
Bao down
If Chinese food is your thing, then
use your leftover lechon to make
bouncy bao buns. Take freshly steamed
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i
with warmed lechon, hoisin sauce, fresh
cilantro, crushed peanuts, and a sprinkling
of brown sugar.
2
Pasta master
Porky, garlicky pasta is only a toss
of a pan away, especially if you’re
smart about your leftovers. Just brown
a good number of crushed garlic cloves
over medium high heat before tossing in
cooked pasta (you can even use leftovers),
a handful of roughly chopped parsley,
chopped up lechon, and a scattering of
grated cheese. Serve hot!
3
Salad days
Croutons aren’t the only things that
can add texture to your salad. For
an added bit of salty, meaty crunch, fry
chopped up bits of lechon (skin and all),
until you’re left with crispy morsels. Toss
into your favorite mix of fresh salad greens
for a special treat.
4
Sisig hooray!
Got stuck with the lechon’s head?
Don’t worry; you can turn it into
everyone’s favorite bar chow in a jiffy!
All you have to do is chop up all the
head’s meaty bits (remove any bones and
chewy cartilage) and simmer in a mix of
soy sauce, calamansi juice, red onions,
black pepper, bay leaves, and chilies.
Add a dollop of liver spread and a freshly
cracked egg, and you’re good to go.
6
Stock up
Use the bony remains of last
night’s festivities to make a hearty
pork stock for all sorts of recipes. In a
stockpot, cover the lechonLiÃyiÃ
and skin removed), along with a handful of
aromatics like onions, peppercorns, garlic,
and celery leaves, with water then boil for
30 minutes to an hour. You can even freeze
this all-purpose stock.7
Pull out all the stops
The best thing about leftovers
is that they let you skip the long
cooking processes of some of your favorite
recipes. Take, for instance, pulled pork.
After shredding precooked pork (lechon in
this case), all you have to do is add a good
dose of your favorite bottled barbecue
sauce and heat it up. Serve straight on a
toasted bun or alongside rice and beans.8
Flash fried
Chefs have been twice-frying their
food for ages, so why not try it
at home? Dredge some leftover lechon
meat with seasoned cornstarch, and then
fry in a pot of hot oil until just golden
brown. (There’s no need to make sure that
the meat is cooked through, because it
already is!) Toss these crispy morsels in
a sweet chili sauce with a handful of
diced pineapples for a take on the
takeout classic.9
Sour power
You can whip up sinigang in a hot
minute with leftover lechon! All
this sour, sprightly Pinoy-cooking staple
needs is a packet of instant sinigang mix,
the usual vegetable suspects (kangkong,
labanos, and gabi), and a healthy
serving of lechon. Cook the sinigang mix
according to package directions, add the
pork and veggies, simmer, and season
to taste.10
Pork and peppers
For something a little bit
spicier, try turning your
leftover lechon into fajitas, the sizzling
Tex-Mex classic. Season your pork with hot
spices like paprika, cayenne, and cumin;
toss with sliced onions and bell peppers;
then cook and serve in a searing hot cast-
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warm rice.Rock ‘n’ roll
For a little extra crunch, try using
your lechon to make spring
rolls. Fill up lumpia wrapper with
whatever ingredients suit your
fancy to go alongside the pork:
Try fresh herbs for a Vietnamese
roll, or some extra meat for
something more familiar
>`w}°http://www.yummy.ph 104 December 2016