🥩 Fried Beef Belly / Lechon Kawali
Crispy outside, juicy inside—this version using beef belly instead of pork gives a rich, meaty bite with the same addicting crunch!
📝 Ingredients:
1 kg beef belly (cut into blocks, ~½ kg each)
5 cloves garlic, crushed
5 pcs bay leaf
1 tsp peppercorn
8 cups water
5 tbsp salt
Cooking oil (for deep frying)
🔥 Procedure:
1. Boil the Beef Belly
In a large pot, add the beef belly blocks.
Add garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and water.
Bring to a boil and skim off the scum from the top.
Lower the heat and simmer for 40–45 minutes, or until the meat is fork-tender.
2. Dry and Cool
Carefully remove the beef from the pot.
Place it on a wire rack or paper towels to cool and dry.
Let it rest until no more steam comes out (you can even refrigerate it uncovered for crispier skin when frying).
3. Deep Fry to Perfection
Heat oil in a deep pot to 350°F (175°C).
Carefully lower the beef belly into the hot oil—watch out for splatter!
Fry until the skin is golden and crispy, flipping as needed to cook all sides evenly.
Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Serve
Chop into bite-sized pieces.
Serve with Mang Tomas All-Around Sarsa or a homemade chili garlic vinegar sauce.
🔥 Optional Chili Garlic Vinegar Sauce:
½ cup cane vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small chili (siling labuyo), chopped
Salt to taste
Mix together and serve on the side for dipping!