AI-generated photo.
Filipino · Iconic, Luzon · Philippines
Lechon kawali
Lechon kawali (lechon kawali), a Luzon plate from Philippines.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Lechon kawali is cooked in Luzon as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the pork with garlic and bay, dry it, and fry it until the outside shatters. Belly is the usual cut. Tenderloin, boiled then fried, is the pork this pantry weighs. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
82
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 51%
- Carbs 3%
- Fat 46%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 34 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 582 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
Frying makes this a harder plate when you feel unwell.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Pork tenderloin174 kcal
- Neutral oil88 kcal
- Garlic4 kcal
- Soy sauce2 kcal
- Bay leaf1 kcal
- Black pepper1 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 0.7. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 272 kcal. Two portions would be about 544 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. Gluten, Soy, Wheat
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 272 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 272 kcal | 14% |
| Protein | 34 g | 68% |
| Carbohydrate | 1.7 g | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.3 g | 1% |
| Total sugars | 0 g | 0% |
| Fat | 13.6 g | 17% |
| Saturated fat | 2.7 g | 14% |
| Cholesterol | 104 mg | 35% |
| Sodium | 582 mg | 25% |
| Potassium | 675 mg | 14% |
| Calcium | 19 mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1.8 mg | 10% |
| Magnesium | 48 mg | 11% |
| Zinc | 3.1 mg | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 1 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 1.1 mg | 1% |
| Vitamin D | 0.3 mcg | 2% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 1.2 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 19 mcg | 16% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 1.6 mg | 134% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.6 mg | 43% |
| Niacin (B3) | 10.8 mg | 68% |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.3 mg | 76% |
| Folate | 1 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.8 mcg | 34% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- The method is a fry, so it stays out of the lightest group even when the rest of the plate is modest.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Slotted spoon
- Thermometer
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Pork tenderloin4 pieces640 g
Garlic4 cloves12 g
Bay leaf2 leaves1 g
Black pepper0.5 tsp2 g
Neutral oil3 tbsp44 ml
Rice vinegar1 tbsp25 ml
Soy sauce1 tbsp13.04 ml
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Lechon kawali. Heat to 350°F / 177°C oil and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh pork tenderloin, garlic, bay leaf, black pepper, neutral oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, kosher salt. Lechon kawali is cooked in Luzon as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the pork with garlic and bay, dry it, and fry it until the outside shatters. Belly is the usual cut. Tenderloin, boiled then fried, is the pork this pantry weighs. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Lechon kawali is cooked in philippines. Drain fried food on a rack, not on a piled paper towel that traps steam.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Lechon kawali, until the edges take a little color. A thermometer in the thickest center beats guessing from the color.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Lechon kawali at 350°F / 177°C oil. Start checking at 6 minutes. Lechon kawali is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was 350°F / 177°C oil.
Fry 6 min
- 🇵🇭 PhilippinesSoutheast Asiaicon-philippines-lechon-kawali-step-4
Lechon kawali, step 5
Step 5 · Lechon kawali
5Check the center of Lechon kawali, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇵🇭 PhilippinesSoutheast Asiaicon-philippines-lechon-kawali-step-5
Lechon kawali, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Lechon kawali for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in philippines, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Lechon kawali in this shot order and no other: a thermometer in the thickest center; batter or dough smoothed to the corners; citrus cut and squeezed off heat; oil or butter just starting to shimmer. Slate words for the editor: quartz, kettle, gloss, frost, amber, sable, mortar, lacquer, hearthside, cedar.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Lechon kawali is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was 350°F / 177°C oil.
If it goes wrong
- Lechon kawali looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Lechon kawali turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Lechon kawali, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Lechon kawali is one of the plates people ask for by name from Luzon.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Simmer the pork with garlic and bay, dry it, and fry it until the outside shatters. Belly is the usual cut. Tenderloin, boiled then fried, is the pork this pantry weighs.
Allergens in the required list: Gluten, Soy, Wheat.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.