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Prepare Time |
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24 hours |
2 hours |
26 hours |
I still remember the first time I has crispy pork belly at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, and I was blown away. The skin was perfectly golden and crispy, the meat was tender with a soft and nice layer of fat, and the sweet and sour sauce just tied everything together. Different textures and flavors exploded in my mouth, so it was definitely one of the best pork belly dishes I’ve ever had.
For a long time, I hesitated to cook pork belly myself, worried it would be too greasy. But I found out that making crispy pork belly at home is actually pretty easy. With a few ingredients, you can recreate that same delicious crispy skin and juicy meat just like you’d find in an authentic Chinese restaurant.
Ingredients:
- 2 lb boneless, skin-on pork belly
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon white sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon five-spice powder
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Equipment:
- A knife
- A fork
- A cutting board
- A drip pan
- Aluminum foil
- A rack
- Meat thermometer
Skin-On or Skinless Pork Belly
The essence of crispy pork belly lies in that crispy skin. Without the skin, it can still be roasted deliciously, but it just won’t have that unique texture. So, go for skin-on pork belly. Also, to up your chances of nailing it, there are some other guidelines for choosing the right pork belly:
- High-quality pork belly that has a good mix of fat and meat
- Evenly thick pieces of meat
- Freshly cut pork belly, not vacuum-packed stuff
Instructions of Roasting Crispy Pork Belly
Here are the steps I’ve learned from many times of cooking crispy pork belly, especially on how to prepare it. Just follow these steps and you’ll nail that perfectly crispy pork belly on your first try.
Step 1: Prepare the pork belly. Pat the pork belly dry and use a fork to poke holes all over the skin. Make sure to only pierce the skin and not into the meat, which helps the fat render out during cooking and makes the skin crisp up. In a small bowl, mix all the seasonings and rub them onto the meat side, avoiding the skin.
Step 2: Place the pork belly in the refrigerator. If time permits, place the pork belly on a plate without covering it in the refrigerator for 24 in hours to help the skin dry out. This will reduce the moisture and make the skin very crispy.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 4: Wrap the meat in foil. Place the skin side down, and insert a wireless thermometer in the meat to monitor the internal temperature. Then, wrap the meat part in foil, leaving only the skin on the outside, which helps keep the meat juicy and tender while making the skin crispy. Brush the skin with a layer of white vinegar and evenly rub the kosher salt on the skin.
Step 5: Roast pork belly. Place the pork belly on the rack with skin facing up, right over a drip pan. Roast it for about 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reads 160-165°F checked with the wireless thermometer inserted in the meat in advance.
Step 6: Remove salt from the skin. Take the pork out of the oven and wipe off any salt on the surface. You can poke more holes in the skin. Observe whether the pork in curling up. If one side is noticeably lower, use some tin foil to prop up the lower part of the pork belly, which keeps the whole piece of pork at the same level for a more even roast.
Step 7: Roast the pork belly again for crispy skin. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F, put the pork belly back in and roast for another 30-45 minutes. Watch closely, and if the edges begin to burn, cover them with a small piece of foil. Take it out when the skin is bubbling and turn golden brown.
Step 8: Rest and serve. Let the pork belly rest for 15 minutes before slicing, which allows the juices inside to redistribute. After resting, you can go ahead and slice it up.
Special Sauces for Crispy Pork Belly
When I had the crispy pork belly at that Chinese restaurant, they paired it with white sugar and yellow mustard sauces, which were great. But I came up with two new special sauces that also go with crispy belly. If you are interested, you should give them a try!
- Hoisin Sauce - This sauce, which comes from China, is also known as Peking sauce. It is a thick, dark, sweet and salty dip. Peking duck is the most famous dish featuring it. I found it pairs perfectly with crispy pork belly too.
- Apple sauce - This is a sauce made with apples, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar. It is sweet and sour and pairs well with crispy pork belly. But it requires some patience to make, and you can check out this homemade applesauce recipe from Inspired Taste.
- Szechuan chili sauce - If you like your food spicy, give Szechuan chili sauce a shot, which can be made at home or buy from an Asian supermarket. For extra flavor, you can add some minced garlic and sesame oil.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers?
If you’ve got some pork belly left over, wrap it up tight in plastic wrap. You can keep it in the fridge for about 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. If you use a vacuum sealer, you can extend the shelf life to 1 week in the fridge and 1 year in the freezer.
To reheat, take the pork belly out and let it thaw. Preheat your oven to 375°F, place the pork belly on a baking sheet, and cover it loosely with foil to prevent it from drying out. Heat for 15-20 minutes, then take off the foil and roast for another 5 minutes to crisp up the skin. Alternatively, you can slice the pork belly and fry it in a hot skillet for quick reheating.
