How to reheat lechon and what to do with the leftovers

Reheating: high heat, and fast

The rule is high heat for a short time. Low and slow will warm the meat through and leave the skin like leather.

• Deep-fry. The most reliable way to bring skin back. It re-crisps in moments.
• A hot pan. A little oil, high heat, and turn the pieces often so the fat renders and the skin colours rather than steams.
• An air fryer. About 190°C for three to four minutes is enough for most pieces.

Reheat skin and meat separately where you can. They want different things: the meat just needs warming through, the skin needs heat hard enough to crisp it.

Storing it

• Get leftovers into the fridge within two hours of serving — within one hour on a very hot day.
• Cold, in a sealed container at 4°C or below, they keep three to four days.
• For longer, freeze: wrapped well, two to three months with the quality intact.
• Store skin apart from meat if you can. Sitting under skin, warm meat steams it soft.

Turning it into something else

Filipino cooking solved this problem a long time ago.

• Lechon paksiw. The classic. Leftover lechon simmered in vinegar, lechon sauce and spices until it is sweet, sour and sticky. Usually made the next day.
• Lechon sisig. Chopped, crisped, served sizzling with calamansi and chilli.
• Sinigang na lechon. Sour soup, and a good use for the bonier pieces.
• Sisig fried rice for whatever is left after that.

And the vinegar

The litre of seasoned vinegar we send is not only for day one. It is the right starting point for a paksiw, which saves you a step.

Where the storage times and temperatures come from

• Pepper.ph — leftover lechon recipes
• Panlasang Pinoy — lechon paksiw
• Panlasang Pinoy — lechon sisig
• Real Food with Sarah — how long cooked pork lasts
• Kitchen Laughter — cooked pork in the fridge