Delicious Pork Belly Slices Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to cook belly pork? ›

Pork belly needs a combination of slow, gentle heat to tenderise the meat, plus a shorter blast at a higher heat to crisp up the skin.

There are several reasons why you might not be getting perfectly crisp crackling. Not enough salt - use the full amount specified in the recipe to cover the pork belly rind when dry brining as this is what causes the crackling to puff up and become crispy when the salt reacts with the fat.

A: The pork belly may be tough if the slices are cut too thick, resulting in insufficient cooking time to tenderize the meat. Alternatively, the pork may have been overcooked, causing it to become tough.

This is a tough muscle, so it needs a longer cooking time at low heat to breakdown the tough tissue." So, to serve up good roast pork, budget for at least 3-4 hours in the kitchen. If done correctly, a piece of roast pork should be so tender you can pierce its flesh with a fork.

It is a fact of life that dry skin crisps better than moist skin. Scotese's trick to crispy pork belly is to rub equal parts baking soda and salt into the skin—the combo of baking soda and salt will draw out moisture and set you up for success.

boiling water trick

This helps to prep the skin to crackle as its now "pre-cooked" so to speak. Make sure to pat dry with paper towel to further dry afterwards.

HIGH HEAT. “A searing hot oven to start is the best way to get crisp crackling,” says Valli Little, of delicious. Between 220C and 240C for 20 to 30 minutes is the recommendation, then reduce the temperature to a range of 160C to 180C. Pork meat is at its best when it's just pink verging on white.

Most belly pork recipes recommend cooking the meat at a high temperature at the beginning. And then lowering it for a number of hours. However, I have found that when I do that, the skin rarely forms decent crackling. Presumably because the skin is still a bit wet and it takes time for it to get hot enough to crackle.

1. Prick and Parboil the Meat. Parboil pork belly on medium heat for half an hour. Begin the process by taking a fork and pricking your meat all over – both the fleshy parts and the skin.

We recommend 8oz/ 230g per person.

Should I cover pork belly when cooking? ›

Build a foil boat around the pork belly. Fold up the sides and seal the corners well for a tight package that surrounds the meat, but leaves the skin exposed on top. Carefully cover top skin with a layer of coarse salt, being careful not to let it fall off the sides where it will over-salt the meat.

Some people use meat tenderizer. Some people pound it with a hammer. Two popular ways is slow cooking by roasting in a oven, or simmering in a pot.

One way to determine your porks' doneness is by the color of the juices that come out of it when you poke a hole in it with a knife or fork. If the juices run clear or are very faintly pink, the pork is done cooking. If they're mostly or entirely pink or red, it's best to continue cooking.

To tenderize pork before cooking it, try breaking up the tough muscle by hitting it with a meat mallet evenly across the surface of the meat. Then, if you want your pork to be extra tender, you can marinate it in a tenderizing marinade made with acids, like citrus juices, vinegar, or wine.

Slow roast 1 1/2 hours – Roast the pork in a 140°C/285°F oven (120°C fan) for a total of 2 1/2 hours. Keeping the temperature this low allows the meat to become tender, for the fat to render (melt) so we get the “confit” cooking effect, and also to dry out the pork skin yet keep it supple.

We soak the pork in water for about 20 to 25 minutes to wash away excess fat. Then we steam it for about 15 to 20 minutes until it's about 70% done. After that, we take it out of the water and poke holes in the pork with a needle and then rub it all over with salt and spices. Then we air dry it with a fan for 12 hours.

Just like the name implies, pork belly is the fatty cut of meat taken from the belly of the pig. When cured and smoked, it becomes the bacon we all know and love. When uncured and unsmoked, it's a versatile cut of meat that can be used in everything from sandwiches and sliders to this rich, satisfying adobo.