Air Fryer Lechon

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Air Fryer Lechon is a renowned Filipino dish that is prepared with pork. This dish contains salt, vinegar, garlic powder, cooking oil, onion powder, pork belly, and black pepper. Use the air fryer to make this dish healthy, and it also decrease the time of cooking as well. It takes one hour to prepare, and it is perfect for a low-carb and protein-rich diet as well. This dish is free from any butter or cheese, so we can easily have this dish if we have a dairy allergy. Air Fryer Lechon provides the rich texture and indulgent taste, perfect to serve for celebrations or family meals. This dish stores for 4 days to 3 months, nice to prepare in advance. Serve this dish with cucumber salad, vinegar sauce, and garlic rice.

STATS:

  • Caloric count: 420 kcal
  • Time for prep: Fifteen minutes
  • Cooking duration: Fifty minutes
  • Overall duration: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Cuisine: Filipino
  • Serving Size: 200 g
  • Course: Main Course
  • Diet: Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, High-Protein
  • Servings: 4

EQUIPMENT:

  • Air fryer
  • Sharp knife
  • Mixing bowl
  • Paper towels
  • Meat thermometer
  • Tongs

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 lb. (900 g) pork belly, skin-on
  • One tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tbsp. vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. cooking oil

INGREDIENT NOTES:

PORK BELLY:

  • Pork belly is the main component of this dish. It provides the perfect combination of juiciness & crisp texture. It should be fresh with skin for the perfect balance of fat content.

KOSHER SALT:

  • It will enrich the natural taste of the pork and also help to draw the moisture content from the skin. It is essential to eliminate the moisture content to provide the crispy skin.

BLACK PEPPER:

  • Add the black pepper to add a light taste and savory flavor to the dish. It pairs nicely with the indulgent pork belly. Use the freshly ground black pepper to provide a strong flavor.

VINEGAR:

  • It is a traditional component of the Filipino cuisine. It will help tenderize the meat and add a light, tangy flavor, which will balance the rich taste of the pork. It also helps to stick the seasoning to the pork belly.

COOKING OIL:

  • Use the cooking oil to cook the pork belly. It will help to brown and crisp them equally. It should have a neutral flavor like canola, olive, or avocado. We required a small quantity of oil for this purpose.

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. First we dry the belly of pork with a tissue.
  2. Score the skin slightly without cutting into the meat.
  3. Now add the vinegar to cover the whole belly of pork.
  4. Add the salt, garlic, powder, black pepper, & onion powder in the vessel.
  5. Now, properly apply the seasoning on the meat side and salt on the skin side lightly.
  6. Leave the pork marinating for fifteen to thirty minutes.
  7. Now warm the air fryer at 190° C.
  8. Then put the pork belly in the basket and air-fry it for 35 minutes.
  9. Now raise the temperature to 205°C & cook for another 15 minutes or till the skin gets crisp.
  10. Leave the dish for ten minutes, then slice and serve.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

RICE-BASED SIDES:

  • Garlic Rice
  • Steamed White Rice
  • Turmeric Rice
  • Fried Rice

VEGETABLE SIDES:

  • Grilled Bok Choy
  • Sautéed Green Beans
  • Roasted Eggplant
  • Garlic Spinach

FRESH SALAD:

  • Cucumber Salad
  • Tomato Onion Salad
  • Green Papaya Salad
  • Asian Slaw

PICKLED & FERMENTED SIDES:

  • Atchara
  • Pickled Cabbage
  • Pickled Radish
  • Kimchi

SAUCES & DIPS:

  • Liver Sauce
  • Spiced Vinegar Dip
  • Garlic Vinegar
  • Sweet Chili Sauce

TIPS:

  • Properly dry the skin to make it crisp well.
  • Don’t add lots of Lechon in the basket so they crisp nicely.
  • Dry the skin thoroughly for maximum crispiness.
  • Monitor the pork with the kitchen thermometer to ensure it is properly cooked.
  • Cool the seasoned pork for a few hours in the fridge to make it more flavorful.
  • Leave the meat for some time, then slice it to keep it juicy.

STORAGE INFORMATION:

FRIDGE:

  • Add the lechon to the dish and store it for 4 days.

FREEZER:

  • Make the portions and freeze the dish for three months.

FAQs:

Can I prepare the dish with the pork shoulder instead?

  • Yes, we can use the pork shoulder, but the belly provides the traditional juicy taste and crispy texture.

Why doesn’t the skin get crisp?

  • You might not dry the pork well, so they don’t get crispy well.

Will I leave the pork marinated for the whole night?

  • Yes, we can easily leave the pork marinated for the whole night to enrich the taste and softness.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

Calories: 420 kcal

Net Carbs: 1 g

Total Carbs: 1 g

Fiber: 0 g

Protein: 24 g

Total Fat: 35 g

Sodium: 720 mg

Serving: 1

Potassium: 420 mg

Calcium: 20 mg

Iron: 1.4 mg

Vitamin A: 0.01 g

Serving Size: 200 g