Filipinos and Lechon ? Why so crazy about fatty food?
Every time we visit the family, the party is on and NO Filipino party is complete without a big Lechon--am I right? Anyway, the first time , years ago, we get this roasted pig delivered and everyone is drooling for it.So--in I dig for my first taste of this national ''delicacy''
And what do I get? A gelatinous mess of fat. I poked and forked and picked to find some meat but there wasnt any, just slimy, greasy fat globs and grease everywhere.
A few years later the mother in law came to Sydney for a 6 month holiday. We held a welcome to Aussie party and naturally, it was a BBQ.I made a special effort with a huge leg of Pork which here is very expensive and (Lechon is not an Australian thing) I thought she would be very happy as it is all first quality export grade meat. She sort of looked a bit funny when I carved the leg and flatly refused to eat ''that rubbish'' as it was ''terrible'' Export quality first grade Pork cooked perfectly.!!! Not a greasy glob of fat.I was really amazed at her attitude and realised, hang on mate, mum has NO IDEA what Pork is other than that greasy fatty muck she is used to.So, Im asking--is this just MY bad luck to ALWAYS get Lechon with no meat-- just fat and grease and why is everybody so happy to eat stuff so bad for your heart and health?
The other thing I noticed was the carcass of the Lechon was never touched and there were no chops or rib bones with any meat just an empty carcass. Where does all the meat and other cuts from the pig go? It certainly doesnt get cooked up and dlivered along with the carcass.Once all the fat from the inside of the carcass was scraped off and eaten, the head was chopped off and someone took that away but the rest of the carcass then gets thrown away. For a P8000 Lechon, you get a mouthfull of fat and someone gets the head the rest of the pig has been gutted and you pay for it but never get it. Out of P8000 I at least expected one pork chop. No one knew what the heck I was on about so I have to ask--what is the big deal with a ridicuolously expensive mouth full of pig fat that eat enough of it and it will eventually give you a heart attack?
I cant count the number of Lechons we have had over the years.. And as always, organised by the wifes family.I think they would know who to buy from as after all--they ARE the locals. In Cebu. Now as to paying P4000 good for you, the ones we pay P8000 for are to feed 80-90 people.Google Lechon sellers in Cebu RIGHT NOW and see for yourself.As to Lechon being only for very special occasions--what/unsa ?? Every time we go there it is a normal part of the party food--at least in my wifes family it is no big deal.