Here it is finally! The long-awaited pork belly recipe from our fantastic weekend at Flying Pigs Farm. Sorry for the delay! I promise it’s worth the wait, though. Big hunks of pork belly glazed in a soy-based sauce using the Chinese technique of red-cooking. The resulting meat is both crispy and luxuriously soft with a delicious salty-sweet sauce.
It’s surprisingly easy, but impressive, making it a good dish to serve company. All the work happens before people show up – allowing you to actually hang out with your friends or chat with Jen about food policy. Just make sure no one’s on a diet, since pork belly is unsmoked bacon and the joy is in the decadence. Mmmmmmm…I’m really glad Erik is making frittata for dinner right now, because my tummy is growling. Can you hear it?
See our other posts on our visit to Flying Pigs Farm.
Red-Cooked Pork Belly
From All About Braising
4 servings
| Amount | Ingredient | Preparation | Where we bought it (* Union Sq. Greenmarket) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One 2-inch piece | Ginger | Sliced into 6-8 “coins” and smashed with the side of a knife to break it up a little | |
| 3 | Scallions | Cut into 1-inch pieces (white and green) | |
| One 3-inch | Cinnamon stick | ||
| 1/4 cup | Brown sugar | Packed | |
| 2 whole | Star anise | ||
| 1/4 cup | Dry sherry | ||
| 1/2 cup | Soy sauce | Not “lite” | |
| 1 tsp | Molasses | ||
| 5 cups | Chicken stock | Homemade, if you have it | |
| 1.5 to 2 pounds | Pork belly | Preferably skin-on; cut into 4 pieces | Flying Pigs Farm *, of course!! |
Directions
- Combine everything except for the pork belly in a large pot or wok. Unlike every other braise, you won’t cover this, so don’t worry about finding a pot with a lid. Am I the only one who can never seem to find the right lid?
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 12-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
- Gently settle the pork into the sauce and lower the heat until the sauce is simmering gently.
- Let the meat braise uncovered. To brown and glaze all six sides of your delectable bacon cube, turn the meat every 30 minutes for a total of about 3 hours or until it’s tender and cooked through.
- If you still have enough liquid in the pan when the pork is done (we didn’t, because I got distracted and let it cook too long), gently remove the meat to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Strain the liquid into a small saucepan and discard the solids. Skim some of the fat from the remaining liquid, if you want. Boil the sauce until it is reduced and thick.
- Serve each person a piece of the pork belly with a drizzle of sauce.
Simple, sautéed greens, like bok choy, are a great complement to the salty, fatty pork belly. Pork perfection!
