How to make Paksiw na Lechon – Sweet Roast Pork Stew and Homemade Lechon Sauce

If you had lechon or roast pork for Christmas and have leftovers, then this recipe is for you. My favorite meal was always on the day after the party. The day after was when the Filipino Lechon Paksiw was cooked. All the chunks of leftover  pork lechon – roast pork were collected, chopped up and dropped into a huge cauldron of  sweet liver sauce, vinegar, lots of garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaf, brown sugar and simmered to a sweet tart stew.

Paksiw is a way of cooking stew with a vinegar-garlic base in Filipino dishes. If there were no leftovers or not enough sauce to make the“paksiw” stew, I was disappointed. But I never told anyone. The Lechon Paksiw dish was and still is my secret indulgence after a holiday party.

Later on, in my own kitchen and even here in America, I was amazed at how easy it was to cook this favorite dish. All you needed were the leftovers and extra lechon sauce to fill the large pot. Throw in lots of garlic, and vinegar and you’re almost there. Don’t forget the brown sugar to sweeten. Add the black peppercorns and bay leaf to spice it up. Simmer it over a slow, low fire.

Before long, the heavenly aroma of a garlicky vinegar pork stew will take over your senses. Nothing else will taste or smell as good as Lechon Paksiw simmering on the stove. Serve it hot. Serve it atop a huge platter of steamed jasmine rice. This is definitely nirvana especially when you slice into the tender, succulent and glistening sweet pork slices. Serve it the day after you cook the lechon paksiw when the flavors have blended and set. You will wonder why this wasn’t served up as the main party dish in the first place.

Before the year ends, I want to take this opportunity to thank you my favorite folks – my dear readers and friends who faithfully follow and read my blog posts, my recipes and now purchase my cookbooks. You keep giving me a reason to stay in the kitchen and to write my stories. Thank you for filling my heart with joy. May the New Year bring all of us and our families the peace, joy and love that we richly deserve.

Happy 2018, friends!

Print Recipe

Paksiw na Lechon - Roast Pork Stew

Lechon Paksiw is a sweet roast pork stew made from leftover lechon. First you need to have the roast pig (lechon) a centerpiece at most Filipino parties. There should also be enough leftover lechon liver sauce to make the stew. If you don't have enough leftover sauce to make paksiw, use the bottled lechon sauce from Asian markets or online sources (see my Amazon affiliate link). Or if you prefer homemade lechon sauce, a recipe follows below after the procedure. This classic Philippine dish is so simple to cook. You simply boil and simmer all the ingredients together till the rich, sweet gravy coats all the pork pieces and the tangy flavors set in. This Lechon Paksiw is an Asian in America recipe inspired by a past blog post. The Homemade Lechon Sauce was inspired by The Philippine Cookbook by Reynaldo Alejandro.  Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 cups chopped in 1-inch sized chunks, boneless roast pork lechon meat leftovers
• 3 to 4 cups lechon sauce homemade or store-bought
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup organic soup stock chicken or beef
• 4 cloves peeled, chopped garlic
• 3 pieces bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup for homemade lechon sauce liver pate (canned)
• 1/2 cup for homemade sauce cider vinegar
• 1 cup for homemade sauce bread crumbs (plain)
• 3 Tablespoons minced fine, for homemade sauce garlic
• 1 cup minced for homemade sauce white onion
• 1 teaspoon for sauce salt
• 1 teaspoon for sauce black pepper powder
• 3 Tablespoons for sauce brown sugar
• 3/4 cup for sauce seltzer water
• 1 Tablespoon honey

Instructions

• Combine all the pork lechon pieces and the lechon sauce, vinegar, soup stock, garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, salt, black pepper powder and 1/3 cup brown sugar in a large stock pot of about a 6-quart capacity.
• Over medium high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Then lower heat to slow simmer. There is sugar in the mixture so it may burn if heat is too high. Stir ingredients every few minutes to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom.
• Cover and continue cooking over low heat. Let the lechon pieces and sauce ingredients simmer for 35 minutes for this amount of  boneless pork lechon leftovers. Turn off heat when done.
• Serve warm with boiled jasmine white rice.
• How to make Homemade Lechon Sauce : In a large saucepan, combine the ingredients - liver pate, cider vinegar, bread crumbs, minced garlic and onions, seltzer water, honey, salt and black pepper. Add the 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. Over medium low heat, let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes till sauce is thick. If sauce consistency is too coarse, process in a food processor or blender till smooth. This makes 1 1/2 cups of homemade lechon sauce. If you need more sauce, double this recipe.
• Cook's Comments: Some recipes for homemade lechon sauce use 1/2 pound chicken livers, broiled then chopped fine in place of the canned liver pate. Feel free to use whatever you prefer or is convenient.
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