Recipe Update: Pinaupong Manok (Filipino Chicken Pot Roast)

So, the day after I made my Pinaupong Manok (Filipino Chicken Pot Roast) and savoring the final product, I wondered how the chicken would appear underneath and what became of the salt.  What about clean-up?

I am very happy about the results.  The chicken underneath is roasted well as one could see in the pictures.

Isn't that a nice brownish color?

 The pot is left with salt and burnt banana leaves.

Throwing the leaves away, we are left with this mix of grease and charred salt, which is about tan.  It is very greasy, but easily removed with water though I have to use plenty of dish detergent (about half a cup) easily penetrate the grease.

The bed of salt and grease.

Now cleaning with detergent and water.
Give it a good scrubbing.

A little more scrubbing now we are left
just with mostly the grease.

And voila!  Good as new!  Now, off
to the next dish!

The cleaning is like what one does to the roasting pan after a meat roast.  But because there were no sugars in the marinade like ham or ribs, cleaning was relatively easy as the charred salt could be removed in clumps!

This experience taught me a lot about cooking in the olden days of rare conveniences such as during Spanish Era Philippines.  Since firewood temperature is very high and erratic, one has to compensate  by other means to control heat.  If one recalls, we used to put a lining of banana leaves in the bottom of the pot to prevent charring the rice during the final steaming (a.k.a. "tutong").  In the same way, the use of salt which was relatively cheap and in abundant supply, prevents burning the chicken and accomplishes easy clean-up too.

I end my affair with Pinaupong Manok with this suggestion.  Next time, I would probably line the pan first with aluminum foil at the bottom before adding the bed of salt and banana leaves.  And cover all sides, in this way, after roasting, one can remove the cake of salt with its mess as one block and into the garbage it goes -- thus, an even easier cleaning!

The final word.  Would I be able to achieve the same in the oven?  I think I could and it's worth a try.  I would have to use a higher temperature of 500 to 600 Fahrenheit or even higher to achieve equal baking at all sides.  There would be less charring and thus and even easier clean up.  Also, if I want a browner chicken at the end of the roasting, I could just lift the cover and broil under direct heat.