Emilie Meyer
Liempo, or pork belly, is a popular dish in the Philippines. It is often cooked using an air fryer, which makes the meat crispy and juicy. The air fryer is a convenient way to cook liempo as it avoids oil splatters and deep frying. The dish is typically served with lechon sauce, a sauce made with seasoned and pureed pork liver, or other preferred condiments. This article will provide a step-by-step guide on how to cook liempo in an air fryer, ensuring a delicious and crispy outcome.
Air Fryer Liempo
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | 1 kg boneless pork belly, 1 sachet MAGGI® Magic Sarap® (8g), 1/4 cup MAGGI® Savor Hot Chili, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp rock salt |
| Preparation | Pierce the skin of the pork belly with a sharp knife. Score the meat side of the pork belly 1-inch apart. Season with Magic Sarap® and Magic Sinigang. Refrigerate overnight without cover. Brush the skin with vinegar and sprinkle salt on the skin. |
| Cooking | Preheat the air fryer to 200°C. Place the pork belly in the air fryer basket and drizzle oil. Cook for 15–20 minutes, flipping halfway through. |
| Serving | Set aside to rest. Cut into serving pieces, transfer to a plate, and serve with rice and preferred condiments. |
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What You'll Learn
Preheat the air fryer
Preheating your air fryer is a crucial step in the cooking process. It ensures your liempo, or pork belly, cooks evenly and efficiently. Here is a detailed guide on how to preheat your air fryer for the best results:
Firstly, ensure your air fryer is clean and dry before use. Any leftover residue or moisture from previous cooking can affect the performance of the air fryer and the taste of your liempo. Consult your air fryer's user manual for specific cleaning and care instructions.
Next, assemble your air fryer by placing the cooking basket or tray inside. Different models of air fryers may have slightly different designs, so refer to your user manual for guidance on the correct setup.
Now, you can begin preheating. Adjust the temperature dial or settings to the desired cooking temperature. For cooking liempo, most recipes recommend preheating your air fryer to 200 degrees Celsius. However, this may vary slightly depending on your air fryer model and the specific recipe you are following. Check your recipe and user manual for guidance.
Once the desired temperature is set, allow the air fryer to preheat for approximately 10 minutes. This duration may vary depending on your model, so refer to your user manual for specific instructions. During this time, the air fryer will circulate hot air to reach and maintain the set temperature.
While the air fryer is preheating, you can prepare your liempo by seasoning it or coating it with flour, as instructed in your recipe. This step ensures that when the liempo is placed in the preheated air fryer, it will immediately start cooking at the optimal temperature.
By preheating your air fryer, you create a consistent cooking environment, ensuring your liempo cooks evenly and efficiently. This step is essential for achieving the desired crispiness and juiciness that characterizes a well-cooked liempo dish.
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Prepare the pork belly
Preparing the pork belly is the most important part of making liempo in an air fryer. You will need 1 kg of boneless pork belly, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Start by piercing the skin of the pork belly several times with the tip of a sharp knife. Score the meat side of the pork belly about 1 inch apart. Then, season the flesh side of the pork belly with your choice of seasoning. You can use a combination of salt, patis, black peppercorns, and bay leaves, or a seasoning mix like MAGGI® Magic Sarap®. You can also add vinegar to the pork belly for extra flavour.
Place the seasoned pork belly on a tray and refrigerate it, uncovered, for at least an hour or up to overnight. This step helps to dry out the skin, which will make it crispy when cooked. When you're ready to cook, preheat your air fryer to 200°C for about 10 minutes. Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator and brush the skin with vinegar and sprinkle with salt, if you haven't already seasoned it. You can also rub a thin layer of oil on the pork skin to help it crisp up.
Place the pork belly in the air fryer basket and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes at 200°C, flipping the pork belly halfway through to ensure even cooking. For extra crispy skin, you can increase the cooking time by a few minutes. When the pork belly is golden brown and crispy, remove it from the air fryer and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing or chopping into bite-sized pieces.
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Cook the pork belly
To cook pork belly in an air fryer, start by piercing the skin of the pork belly several times with the tip of a sharp knife. Score the meat side of the pork belly about 1 inch apart. Season the flesh side with your choice of seasoning—for example, you could use MAGGI® Magic Sarap® and MAGGI Magic Sinigang. Place the pork belly on a tray and refrigerate overnight without covering it to allow the skin to dry.
Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator about an hour before cooking. Brush the skin with vinegar and sprinkle salt on the skin. Transfer the pork belly into the air fryer basket and drizzle oil. You can cook at 200°C for 15–20 minutes, checking and flipping the meat halfway through. Alternatively, you can cook at 200°C for 10 minutes, then decrease the heat to 180°C and air fry for another 20 minutes.
Remove the pork belly from the air fryer and let it rest for 5 minutes before chopping it into bite-sized pieces. The pork belly should pop and crisp under the high heat before 'frying' the rest of the pork. For the cleanest slices of pork belly with minimal shattering, turn the pork upside down when ready to cut. The skin won't feel crispy until it cools slightly, so if the skin looks like it's no longer rubbery in all parts, it's good to remove it from the air fryer. Let it cool slightly before slicing and serving.
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Rest and serve
Once you've cooked your liempo in the air fryer, it's important to let it rest before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute and ensures the meat stays moist and tender. Depending on the recipe, you should let the pork rest for around 5 to 10 minutes.
During this time, you can prepare any side dishes or sauces to accompany your liempo. For example, you might want to serve it with lechon sauce, a traditional Filipino dipping sauce made with seasoned and pureed pork liver, or with rice and your preferred condiments.
If you're serving the liempo with a sauce, you can also use the resting time to finish preparing the sauce. This could include adding the final ingredients or doing a quick taste test to see if any additional seasoning is needed.
When the liempo has rested, use a sharp knife to cut it into bite-sized pieces or serving portions. For the cleanest slices with minimal shattering, turn the pork upside down when you're ready to cut. The skin won't feel crispy until it cools slightly, so be sure to let it rest long enough to achieve that perfect crunch when you slice into it.
Finally, transfer the liempo to a serving plate and enjoy!
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Storing and reheating
Storing your liempo is simple. Once the meat has cooled, place it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you want to keep it longer, you can freeze it for up to three months. To freeze, let the meat cool, then wrap it in foil or plastic before placing it in a sealed bag.
When you're ready to eat your liempo again, thaw it overnight in the fridge. Then, place the leftover pork belly in a preheated air fryer at 200°C/400°F for about 10 minutes, flipping the meat halfway through.
If you're looking to make your liempo ahead of time and freeze it, it's good to know that you don't need to thaw it out before air frying. You can simply place the frozen meat in the air fryer and cook it until crispy and golden brown.
Reheating leftover liempo in an air fryer is a great way to ensure the meat remains juicy and tender, and the skin stays crispy.
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Frequently asked questions
First, pierce the skin of the pork belly several times with the tip of a sharp knife. Score the meat side of the pork belly 1 inch apart. Season the flesh side with your choice of seasoning. Place on a tray and refrigerate overnight without cover to allow the skin to dry. Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Brush the skin with vinegar and sprinkle salt on the skin. Transfer into the air fryer basket and drizzle oil. Cook at 200°C for 15–20 minutes, checking and flipping halfway through.
The temperature depends on the air fryer model and your desired crispiness. However, most sources recommend cooking liempo at 200°C.
It takes about 15–20 minutes to cook liempo in an air fryer.
