Where to Buy the Best Lechon in Cebu?

This time, I'm not sharing how to cook, I'm listing down the contact numbers of the best available lechon in Cebu, order one and enjoy it without all the hassle.

Lechón (Tagalog: Litson and Cebuano: Inasal) is the Spanish word for suckling pig. In the Philippines, it connotes a whole roasted pig, lechón baboy. Chicken and beef are also popular. The process of lechón involves the whole pig/piglet, chicken, or cattle/calf being slowly roasted over charcoal.

The pig had always been the center of communal feasts in pre-Hispanic Philippines, and "Lechon" is the normal manner it is prepared.


Undeniably, Cebu's Lechon is the best in the country. It is tasty as it is, there's no need for any savory dip to go with it. Ask for Mang Tomas (liver sauce) and Cebuano's will stare at you and laugh.

Cebu's lechon baboy is whole black native (free range) pig roasted over charcoal, skewed in bamboo, stuffed with herbs and spices like lemongrass locally known as "tanglad", salt (injected into the meat), pepper corn and more, then baste with either milk or soda or coconut water to keep the skin crispy.


I once saw how it is prepared, it's never a pleasant sight. Hot water is poured onto live pig to shed its hair and the rest is history. I've entered the roasting station of CNT Lechon, it is impressive to see several lines of mechanical rotisserie. That should make the cooking even, not to mention efficient.

We normally forewarn foreign guests, other nationalities especially from the west, find it barbaric to see a whole pig served on the table. But Chinese and Filipinos just love EVERY part of it, right? I feast on the belly and the skin, most on the ribs, some even rave about the tail, the tongue, the ears, the dinuguan (pork blood stew with internal organs), and the brain!

My previous post about Cebu drawn more than the usual readers, googling for information and contact numbers for Cebu's Lechon houses, there are hundreds of lechon houses in Cebu but these are the more popular ones:
NOTE: To contact via telephone, use COUNTRY CODE 063, AREA CODE 032

Cang's Lechon
Sanson Road, Lahug
Telephone Number: (032) 2328899
- the original Cang's Lechon, with crispy skin and tender meat, the fat looks like it's trimmed off, it's very tender that the vertebra easily collapse.

Cary Cang's Lechon (Edna Cang)
Sanson Road, Lahug
Telephone Number: (032) 2358886; +639276441923
-(similar to Cang's Lechon, now operating independently) my family's personal favorite. Aside from the usual lechon, a whole chicken (add P150 each) or rice can be stuffed inside. Imagine chicken or rice that tastes exactly like lechon.

Alejo's Lechon
Labangon
Telephone Number: (032) 2618575

Lighthouse Restaurant
Gen. Maxilon Ave
Telephone Number: (032) 2332383
-famous for Lechon de Leche, a few days old piglet, so tender and milky, they use plates to slice it. For dine-in, you can order whole or smaller portions.

CNT Lechon
Archbishop Reyes Ave # (032) 2326146
V. Rama # 2544249; (032) 2546641
Juan Luna Ext Ave # (032) 2335339
(with outlets in selected malls)
-famous for their retail outlet that sells lechon per kilo*, they can pack them in a box ready for cargo. Also available in Las Vegas, USA:
1203 E Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, USA # 702-270-2500



Rico's Lechon
Talamban, (Enrico Dionson, owner) # 3440119
-rumored for being former President Erap's source of lechon

Zubuchon (as endorsed by Anthony Bourdain)
(Edrid or Beverly) # 2365264 (M-F 9am-4pm)
Sunday Market at Banilad Town Center, Sundays, 10am-1pm


- but frankly, it doesn't come close to Cebu's best lechon.  You might just wanna try it simply because it was endorsed by travel channel Anthony Bourdain's blog.

Lechoncebu.com
www.lechoncebu.com
- offers the convenience of online orders, recommended by a few bloggers who are non-Cebuanos. I haven't tried this, but the published rates are quite expensive.

Carcar Town Market- famous for having lechon juice, a seasoned clear (salty) soup.

Lorenzo's Lechon Baka
Telephone Number (032) 4162849 or mobile phone +639155404221
- specialize in roast beef/calf with sweet brown sauce. My birthday party isn't complete without them roasting a leg for my guests. :D They also serve roast turkey and goat.

The price of Lechon Baboy has increased about P300 for whole and P50/kg compared to last year. During peak season, price increase about P200-500 or they serve a smaller sized lechon. Peak season is from December, extending upto January (for Sinulog). Normal price range now should be:
P300 per kilo
P2800 good for 20-25 (whole)
P3200 good for 25-30 (whole)

Updated price for 2010:
P360 per kilo
P3500 good for 20-25 (whole) about 8-10 kilos
P4000 good for 25-30 (whole) about 10-12 kilos

Airport to airport airfreight from Cebu to Manila costs about P500, the seller usually charge additional P100 for packaging. Including freight, it is actually cheaper to buy from Cebu than in Manila.

*lechon sold per kilo tends to use bigger and older pigs, the meat may not be as tender and the skin is thicker which tends to be harder even crispy. So I still prefer to order in whole, the younger/smaller the better. Don't worry about left overs, stewed (paksiw) or sauteed, they are still worth the added cholesterol. :D Our household cook has a superb recipe, I'll try it out soon and post the receipe here.

Ever wondered how to keep the skin crispy?
- while it's steaming hot, keep it loosely covered. Don't keep it too long in the (car) trunk either. The steam tends to soften the skin.
- while waiting to be served in an airconditioned room or windy area, keep it covered.
- reheat leftover skin (if any!) in pressure cooker or toaster on high heat.

A celebration isn't complete without lechon, Christmas season ('Ber months) is coming up, I'm so eager to feast on more lechon again with hanging rice "puso" to match it.

Grilled Salmon Teriyaki

I've just learned to make my own teriyaki sauce with Kamekichi Cooking School, this time, I'm trying it on salmon steaks.

Serving for two.
Ingredients:

Terriyaki Sauce:
4 Tbsp shouyu (soy sauce)
4 Tbsp Sake (japanese rice wine)
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp shouga (ginger), grated
1/2 tsp spring onion, chopped thinly
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp tomato catsup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)

1. Chop the spring onion into half, discard the all green part for other use. Slice off the top most of the spring onion, slice the head (white part) lenghtwise twice, then chop it in circles, including a little green.
2. Mix all the ingredients of the terriyaki sauce together. Add honey to desired sweetness.  Instead of sake, one may use the more expensive mirin, in this case, omit the honey and tomato sauce.
3. Seat aside 1/3 for marinade.
4. When salmon is ready to cook, heat small pan with little oil.
5. Pour the remaining 2/3 of the sauce mixture in pan and consistently stir sauce mixture until desired consistency.   Remove from fire.

Ingredients:

2 salmon filet/steak
2 Tbsp Corn oil or canola oil
2 pcs calamansi (or half lemon)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Defrost salmon.
2. Squeeze 1 calamansi/lemon per steak.
3. Season with salt and pepper, rub and massage into the meat.
4. Add 1/3 of the teriyaki sauce mixture, marinate for an hour.
5. Heat the grill (or pan) upto 180 dregree centigrade.
6. Place the salmon filet (skin down) or steak on the griler.
7. Flip over when ready.  Baste cooked side with the remaining cooked teriyaki sauce.
8. Remove from fire, baste the other side with cooked teriyaki sauce.
9.  Ready to serve.

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Email	kamekichi.cooking@gmail.com
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Vietnamese Spinach with Garlic

With their slender built, Vietnamese are obviously fond of eating green leafy vegetables and herbs.  We wanted to make our mama proud, and included a vegetable dish in our private cooking lessons at Goian, Bach Dang Street, Hoi An, Vietnam.

Ingredients:
100 grams spinach
1 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 liter boiling water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
pinch of pepper (black or white)

Procedure:
1.  Add boiling water in pot, add salt.  Boil for 2 minutes.
2.  Add spinach, boil for 2 minutes. (and notice the change in color to bright dark green).
3.  Remove spinach from the boiling water then drain.
4.  In a pan, heat oil in meadium heat.
5.  Stir garlic for 30 seconds
6.  Add spinach and oyster sauce.
7.  Cook for 2 minutes, add pepper to taste.

Are you ready to cook some healthy dish?

Vietnamese Noodle Soup: Pho

A trip to Vietnam or a Vietnamese restaurant can't be complete without the local's staple food, Vietnamese noodle soup "Pho".  Pho is of French and Chinese influence, served in a bowl with a specific cut of white rice noodles called "banh pho" in clear broth with thin slices of meat.

Learning to cook Pho is on top of our list during our private cooking lessons at Goian, Bach Dang Street Hoi An.

Ingredients: Serve 4

200 grams rice noodles
50 grams bean sprout
2 tbsp fresh mints
2 tsp lemon juice
2 star anise
1 tsp dry coriander leaves or whole cinnamon
4 tsp vegetable stock powder (2 tsp for stock, 2 tsp for marinade)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chili paste
1 inch ginger, crushed
1/2 tbsp unsalted roasted peanuts, crushed
1 liter boiling water
100 grams beef bones
200 grams beef, thinly sliced
2 shallots
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Procedure:
1.  To make the stock, Add beef bone in a large pot of boiling water with 2 tsp stock powder, 1/2 tsp sugar, ginger, dry coriander leaves, star anise, shallots. Cook for 20 minutes at high heat  or 1 hour at low heat.
2.  Marinade beef with chili paste, 2 tsp stock powder, 1/2 tsp sugar for 30 minutes.  You may add the juice from squeezed carrots and turnip.  Set aside.
3.  In a separate pot, soften rice noodle in boiling water for 20 seconds, then transfer it to a bowl of bean sprouts.
4.  Heat oil in a pan in medium heat, add marinade beef (2) and saute for 2 minutes, until cooked.  Remove from fire and add it on the bowl with noodles(3)
5.  Add the broth (1) into the noodles (4) when ready to serve.
6.  Garnish with mint, lemon juice and peanuts.

The verdict:  It's one of the tastiest Pho we've tasted all across Vietnam.

Vietnamese Country Pancake

All across Vietnam, we were introduced to their version of the pancake.  Vietnamese cuisine is rich in green vegetables and herbs and their pancake is no exception.  They have quite a number of versions, when I participated in a private cooking class at Gioan, 94B Bach Dang Street, in Hoi An, their's was the so called "country pancake".

Ingredients: (serve 4)

4 tbsp rice flour
2 tsp tumeric powder
8 tbsp water
50 grams bean sprout
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 devined shrimps
8 pork/chicken slices
fresh mint

1.  Mixture: Mix rice flour and tumeric powder, add water little by little to avoid clumping.
2.  Heat 1 tbsp oil until medium hot in a frying pan, saute shrimp and meat until half cooked.
3.  Add mixture (1) into the pan, spread like pancake, then add bean sprout on top.
4.  Cover for a minute then uncover for another 3 minutes or until crispy.
5.  When crispy, remove from fire and fold pancake into half and serve with dipping sauce.


Dipping Sauce:
1 fresh chili, crushed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fish sauce (saltier than soy sauce)

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Chicken Terriyaki Don by Kamekichi

Kamekichi is one of my favorite casual dining when I'm craving for some good hot ramen and gyoza. The owner came up with Sunday afternoon cooking class and I signed up for it.

Serving for two.
Ingredients:

Terriyaki Sauce:
4 Tbsp shouyu (soy sauce)
4 Tbsp Sake (japanese rice wine)
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp shouga (ginger), grinded
1/2 tsp spring onion, chopped thinly
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp tomato catsup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)

1. Chop the spring onion into half, discard the all green part for other use. Slice off the top most of the spring onion, slice the head (white part) lenghtwise twice, then chop it in circles, including a little green.
2. Mix all the ingredients of the terriyaki sauce together. Instead of sake, one may use the more expensive mirin, in this case, omit the honey and tomato sauce. Set aside.

Ingredients:

Whole chicken breast with skin, deboned
1/4 cup san miguel beer pale pilsen
2 Tbsp Corn oil or canola oil

1. Remove the excess meat of the chicken breast. Discard or use for other purpose.
2. Skin down,cut the breast into half, make sure, skin is equally distributed. Avoid the spine and remove remaining bones.
3. Cut two diagonal lines onto the meat halfway and in opposite direction, to create diamonds. These cuts enable the flavirs to sip in.

4. Season with salt and pepper, rub and massage it into the meat. (onto one side, w/o the skin)
5. Place the meat on your palm and dust with cornstarch. (both sides)
6. Heat the pan, with oil upto 180 dregree centigrade.
7. Place the chicken in the pan, skin down. (shuffle to make sure it is cooked evenly)
8. Flip over when light brown.
9. When brown, add the beer, then cover to simmer for about 3 minutes.
10. Shuffle the pan to cook it evenly.
11. Switch off fire.
12. Tilt the pan and remove excess fat and sauce, wipe it with tissue paper.
13. Switch on the fire again and continue cooking by adding the Terriyaki sauce.
14. Keep the chicken moving so as not to burn the sauce. Cook for about a minute per side.
15. Remove from fire and transfer to a chopping board.
16. With skin up, slice chicken into thin bite size.
17. Serve over rice. Add the remaining sauce from the pan.

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