How to Cook Belly Pork

Pork belly is both economical and delicious. This crispy and succulent meat dish can be served with rice, potatoes and leftovers make for wonderful sandwiches. Get ready to eat!

Things You'll Need

• 4 lbs pork belly, cut into portions about 4 1/2 by 3-inches each
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
• 4 1/2 cups of chicken stock
• 4 cups of orange juice
• 1/4 cup of light brown sugar
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 4 whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon of whole allspice
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• Sharp knife
• Roasting pan
• Wire-meshed sieve
• Sauce pan
• Baking sheet

Instructions

How to Cook Belly Pork

1. Preheat the oven to broil.

2. Score the fat side of the pork belly using a sharp knife.

3. Season the pork belly with salt and pepper on all sides. Rub the salt and pepper into the scores that you previously made.

4. Put the onions, carrots and celery in the roasting pan. Place the pork belling with the scored side up, on top of the vegetables.

5. Broil until the pork belly is golden brown. This should take about 10 minutes. Turn the belly over and broil for another 5 minutes.

6. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

7. Turn the pork back over and add the chicken stock, 2 cups of juice, brown sugar, thyme, cloves, and all spice.

8. Cover the roasting pan with foil and bake for 2 hours. Then, loosen the foil and bake for another 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

9. Prepare the glaze by straining the pulp out of the remaining 2 cups of orange juice. Combine the juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the glaze is the consistency of a thick syrup. This will take about 30 to 40 minutes.

10. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the pork belly to cool slightly

11. Once again, set the oven to broil.

12. Remove the pork belly from the roasting pan and pat dry. Baste the pork on all sides with the glaze.

13. Place the pork belly on a foil lined baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes or until the pork is crispy around the edges.

14. Drizzle the remaining glaze on the pork belly and serve immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• Pork belly is a very economical cut of meat. The broth left over in the roasting pan makes a great addition to soups.

• Pork belly can be very fatty, so if you're watching your weight, eat only the meat and avoid the layer of fat on top.

Resources

• Information about pork belly.