Thread by @avaeats

i’m gonna piggyback off of @EatWithNia‘s ham thread.

for day4, we’re in the philippines for lechon!

you know exactly what i’m talmbout—that brick-red whole suckling pig on a stick! yup! #HappyFoodmas #avaeats

many cultures have their own version of the whole roasted pig: the cantonese have siu yuk + there’s whole hog barbecue in the carolinas, but in ‘09 the og anthony bourdain called filipino lechon the “best pig ever”
#happyfoodmas #avaeats

the prep: pig‘s slaughtered, hair singed off, + bellies slit open, cleaned out + stuffed w. aromatics + seasonings (leeks, garlic, salt +lemongrass) skin’s rubbed w. coconut water/soy sauce/milk before the pig’s roasted on a bamboo pole over coals for hours #happyfoodmas #avaeats

when the lechon is done + ready to eat—when the meat inside is tender + the skin outside is crispy— the skin is scored + usually served w. a portion of the meat, although people love to eat the skin separately
#happyfoodmas #avaeats

lechon is a big deal in the philippines. it isn’t the only national dish, but it‘s def the most celebrated—especially around christmastime! competitors like “pigtoria’s secret” + “manny porkquiao” enter the different festivals throughout the archipelago #happyfoodmas #avaeats

each region in the philippines has its own style + flavor, but the reigning champion is the southern philippine city of cebu—where bourdain had his taste.

but he didn’t taste traditional cebu lechon.

try to keep up..
#happyfoodmas #avaeats

traditional cebu lechon’s popularity is due to the flavorful meat w. out the addition of sauce. bourdain’s lechon isn’t considered traditional cebu lechon—it used herbs for its stuffing that aren’t found in traditional recipes, like rosemary.

moving on!
#happyfoodmas #avaeats

though some make think of cebu as the lechon capital of the philippines, the lechon business was almost single handily started by tomas de los reyes, aka mang (mister) tomas.
in the 1950s, mang tomas sold pork outside his house near la loma cockpit arena..
#happyfoodmas #avaeats

eventually mang tomas started cooking lechon for the celebrating cockfight winners—owners of the fallen chickens ate the losers instead—+ soon the flavor of his roast pig started to draw more than just cockfight attendees
#happyfoodmas #avaeats

mang tomas’s lechon + his sweet+savory pig liver-based gravy led to the boom in lechon businesses in la loma. his gravy is now available in bottled form + sold around the world—minus the liver. it’s often used to make lechon paksiw, leftover lechon stew
#happyfoodmas #avaeats

experts say that aside from a good crispy skin, the best lechon has tender and flavorful meat packed w. herbs + spices + ideally eaten on its own w.out sauce, + the fat of high-quality lechon shouldn’t congeal or clump after cooling
#happyfoodmas #avaeats

while cooking experience + technique are important, the best lechon businesses use farm-grown native pigs w. the right balance of lean meat + fat #happyfoodmas #avaeats

when coming up w. topics for #happyfoodmas, i try to think of my friends that can add their experiences to my research. luckily, a friend from high school moved to the philippines with her kids + shared a photo of her 2016 new year’s lechon in the table.

thanks reesey! #avaeats

tomorrow we continue the #HappyFoodmas shenanigans in some other part of the world w. @EatWithNia #avaeats