Lechon Baboy (Roasted Pig) Recipe

Lechon baboy is a popular pork recipe in several places in the world, it is commonly prepare in Spain and its former colonized country such as the Philippines. Lechon has become a part of our culture and tradition and any Filipino festivities or gathering can not be considered extravant without lechon on the table. Lechon is a whole roast pig skewer in bamboo pole and cook several hour in a charcoal by turning slowly bamboo pole into rotiserrie movement to cook evenly lechon. The best size for pig to lechon is between 15-20 kg, it is usually 2 - 2 1/2 months old pig. There are a lots of well known lechon houses in Philippines and among them is Mang Tomas and Lydia's Lechon. Cebu is also known for their lechon and I've heard that their lechon is tasty enough that it doesn't require lechon sauce. Lechon de leche or suckling pig lechon is also popular not to mention lechon baka that being popularized by Bonanza restauant. Here is our method when roasting lechon baboy.

Ingredients:
1 Whole native pig (live weight 18 – 20 kilos)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Soy sauce:

For the glaze: 1 Liter of Sprite or 7up
For the stuffing:
10 Bundles lemon grass (Tanglad)
1/4 Cup star anise
6 Pieces of laurel or bay leaves (cut into small parts)
5 Cups of crushed garlic
2 Kilos green onion leave
8 Pieces of halved Saba bananas. (half-cooked through boiling)

Instructions:
1. First, shave hair follicles of the pig and remove the innards. Rinse the pig and make sure there’s no more lumps of blood inside the stomach.
2. Then rub the insides with salt and pepper including the body.
3. Rub a little soy sauce on the inside belly of the pig.
4. Stuff the belly with saba bananas, anise, green onion leaves, crushed garlic and laurel leaves.
5. Next, stack the lemon grass the center stomach, and stitched the belly, making sure that no ingredients slip out.
6. Skewer the pig with a mid-size bamboo and split roast over hot charcoal. Do not put the charcoal directly underneath the belly of the pig but over both sides, slowly churning the pig roast.
7. While slowly roasting the pig, glaze it from time to time with sprite using a sponge. This will make the skin extra crispy.
8. Roast for a couple of hours until the meat is tender. Do not overcooked.