Oven-Roasted Pig's head you can easily make in your kitchen! An interesting entree with super crispy skin and moist, tender meat, this lechon ulo ng baboy is sure to be the star of the party.
I made this roasted pig head for our holiday series here on the blog last weekend but decided not to post it. The lechonย was a success; I wasn't happy with my final photo shot above.
I mean, it looks more like something you'd see in a horror movie than something you'd serve for Noche Buena.
However, I already shared a picture of the pig head on Instagram, and everyone was asking for the recipe, so I thought I might as well put it up. After all, how pretty can you possibly make a pig snout look?
Remembering those roasted pork morsels now, I can't believe I thought of NOT posting the recipe on the blog. What was I thinking? Just look at the super crunchy skin and moist meat! Pretty or not, this roasted pig head is sure to be the star of any holiday party!
I've used this lechon sa hurno technique on pork belly and shoulder with great results, and I was glad to see it works well on a pig head, too. The low and slow roasting method really makes for amazing melt-in-your-mouth tender meat.
Maybe one day, I'd find a small suckling pig that would fit in my oven; it would be an exciting experiment.
How Long Does it Take to Roast a Pig
The roast pig head took a total of 6 hours, first at 180 F for 3 ยฝ hours to slowly cook the meat, then at 320 F for 2 ยฝ hours to start the browning, and finally at 430 F for 40 minutes to crisp up the skin. The head was around 5 pounds in weight, and you might have to adjust the cooking time if you're using a whole or larger piece.
I suggest an extra 25 to 30 minutes at 180 F temp and 25 to 30 minutes at 320 F temp per additional pound of meat.
Quick tip
If the ears are browning too much, you could wrap them with foil.
How to serve
- Enjoy this roasted pork as an appetizer with your favorite drinks or as a main dish with steamed rice. Chop into serving pieces and serve with a dipping sauce such as spiced vinegar or lechon sauce.
- Lechon is best enjoyed freshly cooked as the skin tends to lose crispness over time. Turn leftovers into sisig or paksiw!
More pork appetizers
Ingredients
- 1 (4 to 5 pounds) pig head
- ยฝ cup vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Pour vinegar over and massage on the meat. Rub salt, pepper, and garlic powder all over the meat.
- Refrigerate, uncovered and skin side up, overnight to chill.
- Remove from the refrigerator and with paper towels, pat down surfaces of meat to completely dry. Arrange on a roasting pan fitted with a rack.
- Bake in a preheated 180 F oven for about 3 to 3 ยฝ hours.
- Increase temperature to 320 F and continue to cook for about 1 ยฝ to 2 hours or until meat is cooked through and browns.
- Increase temperature to 430 F and continue to cook for about 40 to 50 minutes or until skin is golden and crunchy.
- Remove roast pig from oven and allow to rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Danilo Lendio says
Can I order whole pig head Lechon location pasig city and much the price?
Lalaine Manalo says
I'm sorry, we don't sell. Just free recipes ๐
Mary says
First time cooking a pig head. I have a 12 pound pig head. According to your recipe for 5-7 pounds (I am 5 #s over)I should cook it a minimum of 10 hours and 40 minutes. Would you recommend cooking it whole or cut in half? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Chip says
Where is roasted pigs head sold in santa maria, California
scott mccollough says
How do I put a Tudor spin on the recipe? Is it the same?
Sim Raga says
I have long been wanting to try this. And I just bought a big pork head at Walmart. Please help with the right cooking time as the head weighs close to 18 lbs. Appreciate your response!
Linda says
This turned out really well except for the part about cooking until crunchy. The skin never got crunchy in the oven and I left in too long because I kept waiting for it to be crunchy. After I took it out and let it rest for a few minutes, then it got crunchy but because I left it in too long it was a little burned and too hard. Since it was my first time, some tips on how to carve it would be nice.
Cindy says
Mine didn't turn out as "pretty" but it definitely was tasty, and for 99 cents a pound at my local market it was a bargain.
Probably won't make it often, but would definitely make it again. Thumbs up!
Jay says
I followed everything here. Mine was not crispy and inside is uncooked. I fugured out the mistake. You mentioned F and not C! Its supoos d to he degree celcius!
Lalaine Manalo says
I understand you're disappointed with the results, and I know how frustrating it must have been. But you can't blame the recipe if you didn't read the instructions properly. Celcius is not the only measurement used in cooking. I live in the U.S., and we use the Imperial system.