Simplified Lechon Paksiw

I love lechon, especially the ones that come from Cebu. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even for snacks. That's precisely why I am ecstatic every time a family friend sends over an entire roasted pig via courier. We throw a house party when this happens because our fridge is not big enough for too much leftovers.

Speaking of leftover lechon, the best way to store it would be freezing it. Just thaw a small portion whenever you want to eat it, place on a baking tray, and heat in an oven until it's ready to serve. Don't try to microwave it, you will just end up ruining the meat (especially the skin part). If you don't have an oven, you can use a toaster or even a frying pan (no need to put cooking oil).

Another way of enjoying leftover lechon is to turn it into another Filipino staple: Lechon Paksiw! Typically, lechon sauce is used in its preparation, but I somehow prefer the old fashioned way of cooking it: with vinegar, soy sauce and sugar.



Here's what you need:

1/2 Kg Leftover Lechon
1 cup White Vinegar
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
Garlic
Onions
Cooking Oil
Laurel Leaves
Black Pepper



And here's what you need to do:

1. Saute garlic and onions.
2. Add leftover lechon and mix for a minute.
3. Pour in vinegar and soy sauce. Mix. Add sugar, black pepper and laurel leaves.
4. Simmer on slow fire for about 1 hour. Add water on occasion so the dish won't dry up.
5. Season with salt or sugar depending on your personal preference.

I'm not a huge fan of liver so this method of cooking lechon paksiw is preferable to me. Plus, lechon sauce is not exactly something that I ordinarily store in the pantry. I would rather not drive to the supermarket just to get a bottle of Mang Tomas if I can do away with it.

Super yummy! You should definitely try this recipe the next time you find yourself with extra lechon!