Crispy Pork Belly Recipe - Wholesome Yum (2024)

FAQs

Why is my crispy pork belly not crispy? ›

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.

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. Let the pork belly strips "hang out overnight, uncovered, ideally in front of a fan," which will dry them out even more.

Here's a look at three easy ways to cook it: stovetop, grilling and oven roasted. It's a triple threat on the delicious front. Stovetop: Use 500 grams of pork belly, basically enough to cover the bottom of your pan in one layer.

Preheat oven to 230°C, 210°C fan or Gas Mark 8. Put the joint in a roasting tin on the top shelf for 20 minutes. This sudden blast of heat is the key to crispy crackling. Reduce the temperature to 180-190°C, 160-170°C fan or Gas Mark 4-5 and follow the cooking times below to ensure the joint is cooked through.

Whole pork shoulders or pork belly roasts can be magical when treated right. Poke the skin with a needle or knife without breaking through the meat too far. Then dust with salt and baking powder and allow to dry overnight. The next day, when you cook, the skin will puff and crisp up in ways you only imagined before.

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.

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

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.

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.

How to season pork belly. A classic salt rub is traditional, but you could also make your own spice paste. For a salt rub: rub the skin with olive oil and season generously with sea salt. This will help the fat run out and the skin to gain its famous crispy texture.

How long does it take to cook a pork belly in the oven? ›

Place pork belly (in foil boat) in oven on center rack, and place a drip pan underneath to catch any fat that happened to drip. Cook approximately 1.5 hours, though a lot will depend on the size of your pork belly. You want to cook until the internal temperature is 160-165°F.

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.

Place the pork belly on the wire rack and place the tray in the oven. Roast the belly for 30 minutes at 220°C/430°F then turn the temperature down to 160°C/320°F and allow to roast for another 25 minutes per 500g (1lb) until it reads 62°C/145°F on a meat thermometer.

If the heat is too high, the skin will get rock hard, along with the meat. That's why we use medium heat when we fry. And don't forget to dry the pork as much as possible first. The drier it is, the crispier the skin.

You can slow cook it in a slow cooker or oven at a low temperature for several hours until it's fully cooked and tender. This will help break down the tough connective tissues and collagen in the meat, resulting in a succulent and tender pork belly.

Starting off with a whole skin on pork belly, with a sharp knife, make a bunch of tiny holes, barely piercing the skin side. Then on the meat side, take slices both the short way and the long way. without cutting through the skin. Salt and pepper on the meat side, and just salt on the skin side to dry brine.

Once cooked (the pork should be tender; this can be easily tested by piercing the flesh with a knife), remove the pork from the oven, then leave to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.