Konted's Make My Day 2: The Succulent Native Lechon

The Succulent Native Lechon

The merry month of May is always described as the month of flowers, fiestas and festivals. Colorful bougainvilleas, yellow bells, gumamela, golden shower and orchids bloom all around, highlighting the beauty of nature.

Fiestas and festivals draw revelers from near and far. There is merry making and food is generously served to anyone. At the center of such celebration, or any other similar gathering, is the native lechon. It steals the limelight as it makes the occasion a grand one.

Perhaps the most popular dish in the country, lechon is roasted pig usually placed at the buffet table for everyone to partake. With a man holding a cleaver and having skills in chopping, the dish's golden brown skin is cut into pieces for guests to determine its crispness. Malutong ba? Then the tender meat is chopped and served to guests. Liver sauce is added to enhance the taste.

The preparation and roasting of the pig take approximately more than four hours. The pig is washed with boiling water, the inner parts taken out and cleaned, lemongrass and herbs stuffed inside and then placed over a heap of burning coals.

With the pig slowly rotated with a bamboo stuck through the body, the maglilitson or roaster exhibits patience as he rubs a concoction over the entire trunk meant to make it more succulent. The younger the pig, the more tender the meat is. In every barrio, in every town, there is a highly skilled maglilitson.

Today, lechon is readily available. While La Loma in Quezon City is regarded as the lechon capital, there are restaurants or stalls almost everywhere serving this native dish. In malls, public markets and commercial centers.

One can buy a whole roasted pig or can have it by the kilo. Or he can partake of it at once served by the plate. Anyway he prefers it, he can savor it to his heart's content. And by exercising later, he can lower his cholesterol to the ideal level.

- Konted

Live pigs are readily available in the countryside. Some are free-range pigs.

Black native pig is being readied for roasting the next day in Solano, Nueva Viscaya.

The actual roasting takes hours. Preno Mendoza of Solano, Nueva Viscaya says: Masarap ang lechon sa amin sa Nueva Viscaya. Yung balat at laman ng itim na baboy, bagamat maliit, ay mas malutong at makatas.

Red mountain rice is served with the lechon in Nueva Viscaya. Red rice is nutritious.

Roasted pigs at Ping Pings's Lechon in La Loma, Quezon City.

Varying sizes sold at different prices at Ping Ping's.

Abok finally settles for the medium size.

Kahit saan, kahit kailan, Kaibigan.

Two Elar's roasted pigs delivered at venue.

Man-in-charge is skilled in chopping and slicing the lechon.

Elar's crunchy golden brown skin

Tender, juicy and tasty

Ready to be served

The host usually keeps the pig's head.

Another lechon is chopped at another table.

Elar's lechon is succulent.

Ivy prefers Elar's: Elar's ako lagi bumibili. The roasting is done systematically. There is a set number of rounds in roasting. And right speed of rotation. Kaya masarap ang pagkaluto.

Rouel Quito picks Elar's : Basta Elar's ako.

Elar's lechon is served on a bamboo tray.

The skin is cut into pieces for guests to savor. Elar's Lechon is located at the corner of Quezon Avenue and Speaker Perez St. near the Welcome rotunda in Quezon City. They have their own farm in Montalban, Rizal.

Engr. Jose and Leonor Rodriguez Lontoc established Elar's in 1970. Leonor's father was former Senate President Eulogio :"Amang" Rodriguez. Elar's stands for the initials of their surnames, Lontoc and Rodriguez.

Ed and Daisy's Lechon in Tagaytay City

Allen & Kristy: "If you are in the vicinity of Tagaytay City, try Ed & Daisy's Lechon."

There are lechoneros in almost all parts of the country. In Cainta, Mang Lino's Lechon near the Cainta Church is the oldest lechon stall , having been established in 1960 by the late Lino Fernandez.

Exi Fernandez is the most experienced roaster of Cainta. He is a son of Mang Lino. Listen to Mang Exi: "Ang tatay ko ay si Lino Fernandez. Siya ang pinakasikat na maglilitson dito sa Cainta noong araw. 1960 pa lang, naglilitson na siya. Sumasama ako sa tatay ko pag bumibiyahe sa Mindoro at Cagayan para mamili ng baboy na pang litson. Kumpare ng tatay ko si Mang Tomas ng La Loma at si Gatchalian ng Baclaran. Magkukumpare sila. Bata pa ako, marunong na ako maglitson. Hanggang ngayon, ako ang nagpapatakbo ng litsunan namin. Pumunta ka dito minsan para makita mo paano kami maglitson."