Pork belly used to always be my favorite to order whenever any restaurant had it on the menu. It is so delicious and indulgent that I assumed it was difficult to make correctly at home. The reality is, though, a tender but crisp pork belly is simple to prepare at home.
For this recipe, you can use a smoker (like a Traeger) or the oven to cook the pork belly. With both options, you turn the heat up for a short time at the end to get that extra bit of crispy goodness on the outside. Cooking times will vary by the size of pork belly you use (one large cut vs thick strips), so be sure to intermittently check on the meat during the cooking process.
Since pork belly is a fattier, richer cut of meat, we usually only use up smaller amounts for one meal and then freeze the rest for later use. The frozen pork belly can then be used in a variety of ways, such as for tacos, ramen, breakfast sandwiches, or steamed bao buns for some incredibly flavorful but quick meals.
- 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- 2-3 lbs pork belly (either one large piece or smaller strips)
- In a small bowl stir together all ingredients aside from the pork belly. Evenly sprinkle dry rub over the pork belly, rubbing spices all over to get an even coating. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.
- Remove pork belly from refrigerator and let sit for about 30 minutes so it is closer to room temperature.
- For smoked pork belly: Bring smoker up to 225 degrees F. Add a drip pan with about 1 inch of water under the grate with the pork belly to catch any drippings. Place pork belly fat side up and cook until internal temperature reaches 200 degrees F, about 3 to 3½ hours.
- If you want crispier pork belly, increase grill temp to 450 degrees F and cook about 3-4 minutes on each side until crispy and seared.
- Remove from grill and allow cooked pork belly to rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice thin and serve or refrigerate.
- For roasted pork belly: preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil for easier clean up. Roast pork belly, fat side up, in prepared pan for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 275 degrees F and continuing roasting for another 1.5-2 hours, until meat is tender.
- If you want crispier pork belly, increase oven temp to 450 degrees F again and cook about 15 minutes more to get outside a little crisped.
- Remove from oven and allow cooked pork belly to rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice thin and serve or refrigerate.
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