Bagnet ala JonMon

Thank you to FriendlyCare Davao's clinic Manager Sir Jonathan Montano for sharing to me his Bagnet Recipe.

Let me give you a short background about what Bagnet is, if this is your first time to hear about it. Actually Bagnet is more commonly known as chicharon, it is a deep-fried pork. In the Philippines, Bagnet from the province of Ilocos is said to be the most delicious. Although many people who are health conscious tries to stay away from it, because of its high cholesterol content, and its very tedious pre-cooking preparation also discourages those who wants to serve it in their food table, still many, like me, are going crazy about it.

Ingredients:

2 kls pork belly (liempo)

1-2 gloves of garlic

pepper corn

bay leaf

cooking oil

Cooking Procedure

Boil pork belly along with salt, pepper, garlic and bay leaf. Put only enough water to cover the meat.
Wait until the meat is tender.
Once the meat is already tender, drain water off then dry the meat. Most people only air dry the meat but according to my source it is better to let it dry under the heat of the sun for 3-5 days. But if you do this you must cover the meat with a net to protect it from flies, plus make sure that you hang it in a place where your cat won't be able to reach it or it will end up in your cat's stomach instead.
After drying the meat you can now fry it, but if you can also put the meat inside the freezer overnight and fry it the following morning. This will give you a Bagnet that is soft and chewy inside, and crispy in the outside.