Lechon kawali

Lechon kawali is a Filipino dish of pork belly with the skin left on, boiled until tender and then deep-fried until crisp. It is a common Filipino pork dish sold in carinderia, home kitchens and party buffets.

What it really is

Lechon kawali is made from a slab of pork belly with the skin on. The belly is first simmered in water, often with garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt, until the meat is tender. It is then drained, dried, cut into pieces and deep-fried in hot oil until the skin blisters and turns hard and brittle, and the layer of fat under it renders out.

The name means "wok-fried suckling pig" in Tagalog, which refers to the cooking method rather than the meat. It is not the same as lechon, the whole roasted pig, and it is not the same as crispy pata, which uses pork leg. The boil-then-fry method is what separates it from plain fried pork belly.

How it's served

• Cut into bite-sized pieces and served hot on a platter as part of a shared meal with rice.
• Usually served with a dipping sauce of liver sauce or a sweet and sour dip of vinegar, soy sauce and chilli.
• Often eaten with steamed white rice and a vegetable side such as achara or a tomato and onion salad.
• Eaten with the fingers or a fork, with the crisp skin and meat dipped together.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the cut as pork belly with skin, and state that it is boiled and then deep-fried.
• Flag the liver sauce as a common dip, since it contains liver and often egg-free flour thickening; state if it is served as a separate sauce.
• Note that the pork is served with a vinegar and soy dip unless the kitchen uses a liver sauce; state which dip comes with it.
• Specify whether the dish is served with rice, as it is usually eaten as a shared main.