Recipe: Mama Elena’s Lechon Special

Family-run Elena's Restaurant shares a traditional Filipino pork dish.

Mama Elena’s Lechon Special is an Elena’s favorite! Crispy pork belly chopped to bite sized pieces, seasoned with fish sauce, Hawaiian salt tossed with tomatoes, onions and green onions, it makes for a mouthwatering treat.

Ingredients

2 pounds pork belly, cut into 6-inch squares
1 gallon vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon Hawaiian salt
2 tablespoons chopped green onions, for garnish

Put the pork belly in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until fork tender, 1 hour 30 minutes. Place the pork in a strainer and drain to remove all of the water, 30 minutes.
Add the oil to a deep fryer or Dutch oven and heat to medium-high heat. Fry the pork until golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes. (The thicker the slab of belly, the longer it will take to fry.) Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Chop the pork belly into 1-centimeter-square pieces. Toss the pork belly, onions, tomatoes, fish sauce and Hawaiian salt in a medium mixing bowl. Garnish with green onions.

Recipe courtesy of Elena’s Home of Finest Filipino Foods.