Lechon the Mindanao Way

Dave and I spent last Saturday night in a Saigon bar, surrounded by Filipinos who were one moment exchanging misty-eyed hugs as a Filipino band (an exceptionally kick-a** Filipino, band by the way - there is a reason that Filipinos are known as 'the musicians of Asia') performed a sentimental ballad in Tagalog, the next lustily singing along to American hits from the 70s and 80s that even we don't know the words for. It was one of those great, accidental sort of evenings, an evening so fun even the killer hangover that followed me all the way back to KL the next day doesn't mar the memory.

Dave ended up sharing a few beers with a guy from Butuan City (Mindanao). How serendipitous is that - us meeting, in a Vietnam bar, a Filipino native to one of the only three Philippine locales we've spent significant time in (the others being Manila and Pampanga)? It's a small world, indeed. He and his wife were eagerly anticipating a trip home for the holidays. It would be a family reunion and so talk ultimately turned to that pentultimate Philippine special occasion food: lechon.

                                      Lechon tools of the trade

Any Filipino will tell you that all lechon is not created equal. Before journeying to Butuan City last February with our friend Marc (who also hosted us in Pampanga) we heard all about Mindanao-style lechon, uttering words like 'incredible' and 'the best' as we cooled our heels at the Manila airport waiting to board our plane.

When we arrived to Marc's maternal uncle's house lunch was waiting, in the form of the famed local lechon: breathtakingly bronzed, the skin - flabby instead of Luzon- or Cebu-style crispy - cut away from the pig like a leather coat. Butuanons don't prize the skin and we ignored it, concentrating instead on the tender meat fragrant with a blend of herbs roasted inside the pig. We ate with our hands, greedily pulling off ribs and dunking them in dishes of vinegar made from nipa palm sap and spiced up with garlic and chilies. It was a tremendous lechon. Marc hadn't exaggerated.

The next day we headed to Ippie Bantilan's lechon shop to find out what makes the local roast pig so special. The family-run shop has been around for over forty years, and the lechon is prepared live to roasted in-house. The day's orders are kept in a pen in the back; while Dave snapped photos I tried to ignore their existence.

We arrived just after a couple of slaughters to find family members disembowling and cleaning a carcass. The first had been rejected because of its jaundiced liver (note below, the jaundiced liver on the left is pale while the healthy liver next to it is bright red). This is a rare occurrence, Ippie told us.

After cleaning, the carcass is dipped in boiling water to remove bristles and hair

and then skewered on a wooden spit. These days most lechoneros use metal spits.

What makes a lechon a Mindanao lechon (beyond the fact that, unlike Luzon-style lechon, it's not served with a dipping sauce made with grilled pig's liver) is what goes inside - always green onions; garlic; red, orange, and yellow capsicum; serrano chilies; bundles of lemongrass and, at Bantilan's, also star anise and white peppercorns.

After seasoning the pig with a fistful of coarse salt and stuffing it with seasonings Bantilan's prep crew poured a bottle of 7-Up into its stomach,

then sewed it up nice and tight,

and rubbed white vinegar into its skin

before placing it over the indirect heat generated by two rows of burning mangrove wood. After a while one row is eliminated to reduce the heat. The spit is turned constantly by hand, with the help of a bicycle chain.

After one and a half hours the lechon is done, caramel colored and dripping juices,

and is placed on a board, swaddled in paper, and bundled off to the delivery vehicle.

More than a few Bantilan lechon journey well beyond the immediate vicinity. Filipinos don't think twice about packing an especially delicious pig back to family and friends. At the request of his Butuan City-born mother Marc bundled a couple back to Manila, encased in cardboard and checked as luggage.

And we were treated to another for lunch, right before we left.

Comments

[Gastronomer]

Oh, so that's how it's done. I'm still not desensitized to seeing carcasses, but I'm working on it.

[Liuzhou Laowai]

Great post. Thanks.

[globalgal]

If this post won't convince my lechón loving Spanish husband to visit the Phillipines I don't know what will. Thank you for posting this, I've been working on a trip there for the longest time. Looks so delicious!

[Kitt]

Fascinating! I wonder what they used before there was 7-Up?

[Chin]

Your lovely post reminded of my times in Valencia, Bukidnon. I was invited to a businessman's home for Lechon Baboy. They Mindanowans really know how to celebrate.

[Robyn]

Gastronomer - I understand. It took me a while to get there. I don't think I'll ever be ready to witness a slaughter.

LL- Thanks!

globalgal - ohmygoodnes, a Spanish man who won't visit the Philippines? Is he aware of the (Christian) Philippine love affair with pork in all incarnations?

Kitt - good question! Maybe nothing. This BTW is a good example of Filipino culinary innovation with foods/drinks introduced by the Americans. And not a specifically Mindanao innovation (the 7-Up), btw.

Hi Chin - yes, we got that feeling. Though after our night in Saigon I would generalize that a bit to say that Filipinos of all origins really know how to celebrate!

[ilva]

Every time I visit here, I am struck by the quality of what you do-to me this must be THE best food blog around! Thanks!

[Life2.0]

Now I have a good conversation starter for Christmas Eve. Most of my husband family is from Mindanao and they love Lechon. I have only had Lechon twice, both times in Michigan and cooked by different people. Both times, the Lechon did not really taste like anything. I bet the pig was not seasoned properly or maybe the 7up really does the trick. Good Ole High Fructose Corn Syrup will always save the day.

[Life2.0]

BTW, Robyn. You are missing one heck of a winter storm, here in the mitten state. We got about 12 inches in 20 hours. You miss it, I know you do.

Wishing yous guys a super Christmas.

[Robyn]

Hi Ilva - thanks very much for the kind words. Happy Holidays!

Life - if the lechon did not taste like much seasoning may be to blame ... but I bet it also has to do with where the pig comes from. It's really hard to find pork in the US that tastes like anything. We've bred all the fat (and goodness) out of our pigs, unfortunately. My mother will no longer make her famous pork roast - says it's not worth it bec. she can't find good pork anymore.
Snow? You bet I miss it. (NOT!) ;-0

[heidi leon]

mmm... I'm not meat lover, specially pork, but that looks good (without considering the whole "rustic" process).

Funny the note globalgag wrote about Seven up. In my country (Mexico) we have a dish, daily family dish, not fancy at all: Cerdo a la coca cola (Pig loin in coke!!). Mexicans adore Coke (the soft drink not the "other" coke!). I'm sure that dish was created because of the coke, not sure about Lechon with Seven up.

btw, first timer in you blog guys and I love it. I'l keep coming back for more!

saludos from Shanghai

[kayenne]

This is probably one of those things that makes it to the "Only In The Philippines" list. Flying an entire lechon cross-country. I understand it's a common occurrence. I've never been to Mindanao though, but I love the Cebu Style Lechon with liver sauce. We have a good one here in Manila.

Cooking with sodas is rather common here. We do a sticky Chinese-style Pork Leg Adobo with Sprite or Seven-Up. I also cook shrimps simply stir fried with ginger, garlic and a splash of whatever soda is available.

[Marc Medina]

Hi Robyn

Thanks for the post! I'm getting really hungry just reading it from freezing Oxford. The 7-Up I believe is to make the skin crisp (which it should've been, actually, if the lechon we ate at my uncle's house had not been sitting on the table wrapped up in paper for long). In Arayat, my dad's old lechonero actually used to pour gin (one bottle for the pig, the other bottle for himself while roasting the pig).

But you're definitely right. In Butuan the real show-stealer are the ribs, and that layer of skin/fat lining the belly. And you're definitely also right about those Filipino musicians and performers. Even in London.

Happy Holidays!
Marc

[shimmer]

Awesome post. here in Germany they also roast a whole pig for backyard feasts but they only seem to season it with paprika, salt and pepper, plus a few herbs. Nothing beats lechon, filipino style, especially enjoyed communally over the holidays. Ahh, what I'd give to be back home for the holidays. Still, lechon is also enjoyed throughout the year, so I'm sure my lechon will be ready and waiting as soon as my plane touches down in Cebu in March. Thanks for letting me vicariously enjoy lechon with you and Dave.

[Marketman]

Wonderful post Robyn, just wanted to wish you a wonderful holiday season and exciting New Year...

[Robyn]

Heidi - welcome! You are in our old stomping grounds. We lived in Shanghai back when it was more of a giant construction site than a city. Have some xiaolong bao for us! Cerdo a la coca cola - interesting!

kayenne - yes, I got that impression, that there are a few Filipino dishes cooked with cola. And flying a whole lechon cross-country ... definately an only-in-the-PHI thing!

Marc, same to you. I really do believe those Mindanao lechon are the best we've ever had ....

shimmer - the thoughts of Cebu lechon in March will get you through these coming cold winter months. Happy Holidays!

Marketman - same to you and yours. The New Year does look to be pretty exciting, in fact.... Cheers.

[wordsandsteel]

I woke up this New Year's morning and missed lechon so much.. this post was such a nice treat to read! Have never had the lechon from Mindanao, but will have to try it next time I'm back in the Philippines...

[Roland P. Panares]

Hi! Hope you could also try Manong's Tasty Lechon Cebu (7032133) We are from Cebu City but we are now based in Metro Manila. We offer authentic Cebu lechon and we also deliver it for FREE. Call us now.

[In Lechon Philippine]

Craving lechon today.I will buy for our lunch.

-Ava