Yoji and the Foodies

I’ve been reading and hearing about Zubuchon, a Cebu-based lechon place owned by MarketManila . It is said to be the lechon that Anthony Bourdain tasted while he was here in the Philippines. The lechon had the distinction of being called the “Best Pig Ever” by Bourdain himself. Of course, many lechon enthusiasts would disagree as most of them would rally behind old time favorites.

I am not a big fan of lechon but I think this is primarily because I have not tasted one that can make me a convert. Saying that the lechons in Metro Manila are bland may be too much of a generalization and might get the ire of the Laloma peeps or the Lydias, the Pingpings and the Elars.  I’d like to believe that at some point in my life, I’ve tasted all of them in fiestas I’ve attended. Without the liver sauce, they all taste bland to me. So, in Metro Manila, it’s more of a battle of the sauces, which made me believe that this, too, is the case in the provinces. Boy, was I wrong.

My friends from Cebu have been raving about CnT lechon but I am far more interested (and shocked) in the idea that they don’t eat lechon with liver sauce. They said they just use vinegar. So, one of the things in my mental itinerary (read: plans that can go kaput!) is to fly to Cebu and go on lechon tasting spree. It would wreak havoc to my now normal blood pressure but that’s what neoblocs are for, right?

So, my friends sent me a package full of Cebu treats, one of which is Zubuchon lechon sisig.

It’s essentially minced/chopped lechon parts (perhaps the head area) and nothing else. It came with an instruction on how to make the sisig. I really don’t care much about the  instruction because I was so thrilled at the idea of tasting a Cebu lechon, albeit in its  unglamorous overly butchered parts. I did taste a teaspoonful of the minced lechon just to get an idea of how the whole lechon might taste like. I was pleasantly surprised because it was not bland like the lechons here in Manila.

Since it’s already tasty, I didn’t see the need to follow the instruction. I just re-heated the sisig till they become crunchy.

It is by far the simplest sisig I’ve had, and yet it was the most remarkable. Gerry’s sisig will always be on top of my list, but Zubuchon is working it’s way up the sisig list.

Buying 1/2 kilo of Lechon is perhaps the most impulsive thing I’ve done in a long time. I should remember never to do grocery when really really hungry.

Pork is the least favorite at home for various reasons, mostly health-related. The only time my family will eat pork is when the pork doesn’t taste like pork. For some odd reason, my dad picks up this pork taste (not in a good way) no matter how fresh the pork is.  I hate seeing food go to waste so it was imperative to make use of my culinary skills (or whatever’s left of it) to masked that porky taste of the lechon. This is next to impossible since you can’t take the pork taste off the pork.

Anyway the key ingredients are: strong vinegar, Kikkoman soy sauce, crushed pepper, and the liver sauce (Mang Tomas).

1. Heat the lechon pieces in a non-stick frying pan.

2. Add vinegar. Let it sit for 20 seconds

3. Add Kikkoman soy sauce. Mix well

4. Add liver sauce

5. Simmer for 30 seconds then mix.

6. Serve with rice

The taste: cross between humba and adobo.

Lechon is one of the most popular “fiesta” foods in the Philippines.  To the uninitiated, it is a roasted whole pig  – prepared differently depending on which part of the Island you end up partying in.  Cebu (south of the Philippines) is famous for its lechon. In fact, when  Anthony Bourdain visited the place, he only had three words to say about the lechon: “BEST PIG EVER” (watch it here, I’m not kidding!). It’s probably the cholesterol kicking in that made him fall into a gastronomic stupor, but who cares?! It’s not always you get to hear a superlative from Anthony Bourdain.

I have not eaten lechon in years (perhaps 8 years or so). The main reason is that I had to cut down on my pork intake after my bout with hypertension. My friends from Cebu promised to take me lechon-hopping  if and when we get together in Cebu. In my mind I know it will happen but not soon enough, so I went to check out the lechon hotspots in the  area where I live. I found about 5 lechon stalls a few blocks from each other. The 4 stalls only sell whole pigs. The fifth stall has a little restaurant (Lechon Ahoy!) so I ordered the lechon value meal for $4. The meal includes lechon, rice, pancit and iced tea.

As you can see, the portions are for little people. The pancit was salty and soggy so it was a big letdown. The lechon was good but it’s forgettable. Perhaps I had very high expectations given that I have not had a taste in years and the Cebu lechon has been on my mind for some time. Again, the lechon was good but it didn’t quite hit the spot.