Pork belly is a fatty, flavorful cut that is typically used to make bacon, but can still be cooked in other ways. Whether you prefer to cook it in the oven, slow cooker or pan, it will surely make a delicious addition to your table.
Ingrediants
Roast in the oven
For 6-8 servings
- 1 kg of pork belly
- 80 ml of olive oil
- 15 g of sea salt
- 15 g of ground black pepper
Slow cooking
For 6-8 servings
- 1 kg of pork belly
- 10 g of sea salt
- 10 g of ground black pepper
- 10 g of chili powder
- 30 ml of olive oil
- 60 ml of apple cider vinegar
- 150 g of carrots cut into 5 cm pieces
- 150 g of sweet potatoes cut into 5 cm pieces
in the pan
For 3-5 servings
- 500 g of pork belly
- 30 ml of honey
- 30 ml of soy sauce
- 15 ml of oyster sauce
- 5 g of chopped fresh garlic
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Roast in the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C
Meanwhile, prepare the dish by inserting a raised grill for roasts.
- If you don't have this utensil, crumple up several aluminum sheets and arrange them on the bottom of the pan.
- You need to keep the meat lifted from the pan during cooking to allow the fat to drain better.
Step 2. Score the meat
Use a sharp knife and make shallow cross cuts. Proceed with several vertical incisions spaced 5 cm apart; then, do the horizontal ones keeping the same distance.
- Try to pierce the rind and the top layer of fat, but avoid cutting the muscle fibers just below.
- This operation allows the fat to liquefy and drain during cooking.
Step 3. Massage the pork belly with oil, salt and pepper
Place the meat in the pan so that the skin side is facing up and add the oil with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- In addition to flavoring, these condiments help the adipose tissue to melt, making the rind crispier.
- Distribute the aromas with your hand, massaging them to let the salt and pepper penetrate the incisions.
- Know that these two ingredients should resist high temperatures for the duration of cooking, while the other spices and herbs could burn; if you decide to use other flavorings, add them in the final half hour of cooking.
Step 4. Cook for 20-30 minutes
Place the flavored meat in the hot oven and roast it for 20-30 minutes or until the skin turns golden and looks crunchy.
- This short period at a high temperature does not cook the belly completely and you shouldn't maintain that level of heat throughout the process; this phase only serves to make the rind crisp.
- Do not wait for the outside to take on a dark brown color or become completely hard, as you must continue cooking at a lower temperature; exposing the pork belly to intense heat for too long causes it to burn.
Step 5. Reduce the temperature to 180 ° C
Proceed without removing the dish from the appliance and continue cooking for another 120-150 minutes or until the meat is ready.
- Check the process halfway through cooking; if the fat gets too hot, it may start smoking forcing you to transfer the meat to a clean baking dish.
- The minimum internal temperature for this cut is 70 ° C before removal from the oven.
Step 6. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes
After taking it out of the oven, wait this amount of time before cutting the meat.
In the meantime, the internal juices have the possibility to redistribute themselves in the muscle fibers and stabilize
Step 7. Serve the roast while it is still hot
Baked pork belly should have crunchy skin, but the inner portion should be tender and juicy.
- Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- When reheating leftovers, remember to sauté the slices in a pan so that the rind stays crisp.
Method 2 of 3: Slow Cook
Step 1. Leave the meat in the flavorings overnight
Rub all sides of it with salt, pepper, and chili powder, wrap it in cling film and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
- Mix all the spices in a saucer before applying them to the pork; in this way you ensure a uniform distribution.
- There is no need to wait all night if you are short on time. This process makes the meat tender and improves its flavor, but you will still get a delicious dish even if you flavor it just before moving on to the next steps.
Step 2. Score the rind
Use a sharp knife to make diagonal cuts on the side covered with skin, rotate the piece of meat 90 degrees and make cuts perpendicular to the first ones.
By doing so, the fat melts during cooking; it tries to penetrate the rind and the upper layer of adipose tissue, but does not reach the muscle fibers that are immediately below
Step 3. Heat some olive oil in a pan
Pour it into a large saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat.
Wait about 60 seconds for the oil to reach a suitable temperature; tilt the pan carefully to grease the entire bottom
Step 4. Brown the meat on all sides
Put it in the hot oil and let it brown for 60 seconds on each side, until it is crispy.
- You also need to brown the thin sides of the belly: this means keeping it in balance with kitchen tongs.
- This cut does not become very crunchy in the slow cooker, for this reason you must brown it in a pan before proceeding with the actual cooking.
Step 5. Put the ingredients in the appliance
Spread the carrots and sweet potatoes on the bottom, add the meat on top of them and then pour the apple cider vinegar over everything.
If you wish, you can also use other vegetables in place of carrots and sweet potatoes; Brussels sprouts, potatoes and turnips are good alternatives
Step 6. Cook the meat at the maximum temperature for 4-5 hours
Close the slow cooker and turn it on by setting it to maximum; wait until the pork belly is ready, it will take about 4-5 hours.
When finished, the minimum internal temperature should be 70 ° C
Step 7. Serve the dish while it is still very hot
Turn off the appliance and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing it; it should be very tender and juicy when you divide it into portions.
Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator; you can heat the slices in a pan so that the rind remains crisp
Method 3 of 3: Pan-fried
Step 1. Heat a dry pan
Place a large saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat and don't add oil.
Since pork belly contains a lot of fat, it is not necessary to add more; If you wish, you can use oil to brown the meat more quickly, but be aware that this increases the risk of hot oil splashes
Step 2. Slice it
You can use a sharp knife and cut it into 5-10mm thick portions.
There is no need to cut the skin when cooking this cut in a pan; slicing it already exposes a large amount of fat to heat, allowing it to melt more evenly than a thick layer can
Step 3. Brown the pork
Arrange the slices in the hot pan and cook them turning them often until they are perfectly golden and crunchy.
- The exact cooking times depend on the amount of meat you are preparing, but 4-5 minutes per side should be sufficient.
- Use tongs to gently twist the pork belly; if the melted grease starts to splash, use a guard to keep the stove from getting too dirty.
Step 4. Add the flavors
When the meat is well browned, drain the excess melted fat and add honey, soy and oyster sauce and garlic.
- If grease "puddles" remain on the slices of meat after you have drained the fat from the pan, you can pat them dry with clean kitchen paper.
- Consider mixing the herbs in a separate bowl before pouring them into the pan to evenly distribute the flavors.
Step 5. Reduce the heat and continue cooking
Continue like this until the sauce thickens and coats the slices like a glaze.
- You have to keep turning them and flip them on all sides to coat them with sauce.
- Exact times vary, but be aware that this will take approximately 2-3 minutes.
Step 6. Serve the dish still very hot
Remove the pan from the stove and bring the slices to the table with the sauce.
