Delicious Pork Belly Slices Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my pork belly slices tough? ›

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.

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.

The skin wasn't dry enough. Make sure to pat the pork completely dry before rubbing in the salt and oil as excess moisture will stop it from crisping up. It's important to score the skin if you want it really crisp. You'll need a sharp knife for this, or ask your butcher to do it for you.

The videos below from the guys over at ChefSteps shows you how to cook pork belly using three different methods: braising in the oven, pressure cooking (with a nice sear to finish it off), and of course, this being ChefSteps, sous vide.

How do you make pork soft and tender? Soak your pork in a salt-based brine before cooking it using your desired method. Pork chops need to soak between 12–24 hours, an entire pork tenderloin needs to soak for 6–12 hours, and an entire pork loin requires 2–4 days of soaking.

Place meat in a dish and cover with water. Remove meat and stir roughly 4 level Tbs of baking soda into the water. Put meat back in and soak (in refrigerator) overnight. Rinse THOROUGHLY and cook.

The tender pork belly is most often used to make bacon, but there are other ways to appreciate this cut. Braise or roast it and enjoy the unique milky flavor – so different from cured bacon or conventional pork.

Contrary to common belief, pork belly does contain omega-3 fatty acids, albeit in smaller quantities than fish or nuts. These healthy fats are well-known for their anti-inflammatory properties and are beneficial for heart health, brain function, and overall well-being.

Why do you put vinegar on pork belly? ›

DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR – MY SECRET INGREDIENT: Do NOT SKIP the vinegar before the salt crust! The vinegar will further soften the skin when baking, as well as remove any odor from the skin. I have seen other recipes call for baking soda but I have found that vinegar works best for me!

White Vinegar helps dry out the skin – but it has a secondary purpose of removing the odour! If you are prepared, place the Pork in the Fridge UNCOVERED overnight – the skin will dry out. When you pre-heat your oven, remove the pork from the fridge and let it return to room temperature.

Washing beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination. Some consumers think they are removing bacteria and making their meat or poultry safe.

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.