Enjoy a slice of Ballarat this August with the return of Ballarat’s Best Pie competition.
Take your pick from more than 35 savoury and sweet pies at some of the city’s top cafes, restaurants and bakeries.
On the menu at Hotel Canberra's Stables Cafe & Bar is lechon paksiw pie – a spin on a classic Filipino dish.
Crisp, flaky butter pastry is filled with lechon-roasted Western Plains Pork simmered in aromats, vinegar, fresh local bay leaves, onions and peppercorns.
A crispy pork crackling crumble coats the outside of the pie, which is wrapped and served in banana leaf.
"This pie filling is a vibrant, tangy stew made by taking yesterday’s lechon (or roast pig) – often the crispy, golden centrepiece of every Filipino event, from birthdays to baptisms – and giving it a delicious second life," chef Jigs Liwanag said.
"The meat, skin and fat is simmered low and slow in a sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, onions and lechon sauce. Bay leaves and peppercorns join the party for extra depth and a touch of home."
Vote and win!
For your chance to win a luxury Ballarat weekend escape for two valued at over $3000, cast your vote for the People’s Choice Pie.
The pie with the most votes will be crowned the winner of this new category in early September.
"Celebrations are frequent in Filipino culture and every fiesta calls for suckling pig"
