Lechon Baka (Roast Beef Filipino Style)
- 1.5 – 2 kilos beef (rump, rib-eye, sirloin or chuck roast)
- 1 tables poon rock salt
- 1 tablespoon roasted whole peppercorns (crushed)
Liquid Marinade:
- 2 cups soda (Sprite or 7 up)
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2- 3 tablespoons calamansi juice or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
- 1 stem lemon grass (pounded)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons dry or fresh herbs of your choice (oregano or rosemary)
- Place beef into a large basin or bowl, rub beef with salt and roasted crushed peppercorns and give it a 1-minute massage. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix all ingredients for the liquid marinade and the remaining crushed peppercorns. Stir mixture until well blended, let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Get 1 cup of the liquid marinade and strain. Set aside. Put back the solid ingredients back to the marinade.
- Using a syringe intended for curing meats, suck up the strained liquid marinade and start injecting into the deep parts of the meat of the beef.
- Pour the remaining liquid marinade onto the seasoned beef, cover the bowl then marinate inside the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Make sure to flip or turn over the beef once in a while.
- After 1 or 2 days, remove the beef from the refrigerator and thaw out for 30 minutes to bring the marinated beef at room temperature then place the marinated beef on a roasting pan with rack then cover and seal entirely the roasting pan with foil.
- Place the covered roasting pan in a preheated oven at 300°F/149°C and roast the beef for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours of roasting put the temperature higher at around 350°F/177°C Remove foil then continue roasting the beef for another 2 hours or until beef is tender, basting the beef from time to time with the beef drippings from the roasting pan.
- Once done roasting, remove the beef from the oven and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes (aside from 2 days marination)
Cooking time: 4-5 hours
