Crispy Pork Belly

Crispy pork belly is a large slab of pork belly which is simmered in a sauce made by ginger, onion, garlic, bay leaf, pepper corns and then air fried until perfectly golden brown and crispy. Crispy pork belly is the new lechon! When there is crispy pork belly, there is always happiness. This dish is a common star item during celebrations. Experience a crispy outside and tender and juicy inside with this crispy pork belly dipped in your favorite dipping sauce.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kilo slab of pork belly
• 1 bulb ginger (sliced)
• 3 pcs dried bay leaves
• 6 cloves of garlic (pounded)
• 1 large onion (quartered)
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons rock salt
• vinegar (for brushing)
• extra salt (for the skin)

Directions:

1. Wash and prepare the pork belly slab. Score the lean part of the meat both horizontal and vertical to cook it faster for later. Set aside.
2. In a pot, add the slices of ginger, pounded garlic, onions, bayleaves and peppercorns. Place the slab of pork belly on top of the aromatics. Add enough water to cover the pork. Sprinkle the salt. Cover the pot and allow it to cook for a few minutes.
3. After a few minutes, remove the white foam which will rise on top. Continue simmering until the pork is completely tender. You may flip the slab of pork from time to time to make sure that both sides cook evenly.
4. Do the fork test to check if the pork is tender. Remove it from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Let it completely cool down.
5. Poke the skin using a set of toothpicks. You can also do this with a steel fork. Wipe the skin dry before brushing it with vinegar. Sprinkle a little salt and rub the skin gently. Air dry the pork for at least 2 hours or refrigerate it overnight to dry.
6. Pre-heat your air fryer. Place the pork slab inside and air fry for 20 minutes at 200 C. Alternatively, you can deep fry the pork slab until golden brown and crispy.
7. After 20 minutes, transfer the crispy pork belly to a serving plate. You may either serve it whole or slice it to serving pieces first.
8. Either papak or enjoy the crispy pork belly with rice. Dont forget your special vinegar dipping sauce (or any sauce you like). Yum!

Crispy Pork Belly

If you cannot afford a whole lechon, always remember that crispy pork belly will be there for you. Crispy pork belly is one of the best things you can serve at any occassion. While you can easily order one online, making one at home will be a little extra effort but fulfilling.

I have always been cooking my crispy pork belly the old way– after simmering, you deep fry them in hot boiling oil until the crust is golden brown and crispy. But now that I have an air fryer, I have started doing this dish the healthier way. Instead of submerging the meat in oil, I let the belly’s natural oils to cook it. Less oil, more flavor! This crispy pork belly recipe should be listed in my air fryer recipes. Add it in yours too!

If you wanna know how to make crispy pork belly at home, read and follow the quick steps below. Happy cooking!

How to Cook Crispy Pork Belly

Crispy pork belly is one among the most ordered food item for birthdays and other celebrations. This give the impression that this ginormous slab of meat is hard and laborious to prepare. Once you see the steps below, you would realize how easy this amazing dish can be done at home. If you have prepared meat slab dishes in the past, then you can also handle this one.

While you can use any cut of meat, the most ideal cut to use on this dish is the pork belly. Once you get to your local market, do not let the seller cut the liempo into thick strips, and instead have it as a large slab. You might need to prepare your muscles before market day as this slab can weigh up to 1.5 kilos.

Prepare the pork belly and the aromatics. The meat will be simmered in a big pot with aromatics. Expect around an hour before the meat has been totally become soft and tender. During the cooking process, remove any white scum or foam that will float. These are impurities which can affect the taste of the meat. Once done, our next goal is to dry the meat a little by just letting it sit in a cooling rack. For best dryness, you can refrigerate them overnight.

The next day, poke the skin of the pork. You may use a fork to poke some holes on the skin. Another hack you can do is by using a set of toothpicks and poke the skin altogether. If you have a meat tenderizer kitchen gadget, this step will be easier. Then, brush some vinegar and rub some salt on the skin. This helps dry out the skin more, making it crispier for later. Remember, the drier the meat, the crispier it will become. (And there would be less oil splattering if you choose to deep fry the meat!)

Since I have an air fryer available, I used this in cooking the pork belly. If you want to do it the classic way, you can deep fry the meat in boiling oil, or do Ninong Ry’s way where you pour boiling oil over the meat until completely cooked. In whatever way you do, this will result to a crispy skin with tender meat on the inside.

I really like to papak my crispy pork belly. I usually serve it whole because once I slice it, I can’t resist the urge to eat it! Of course do not forget your dipping sauce. Most people like it with spicy special vinegar, but for me, Mang Tomas is still the best! Aside from papak, you can also partner this with some rice or have it as a pulutan to ice cold beer. The next day, you can turn this into a sizzling sisig! Yum!

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe in Tagalog

Mga Sangkap:

• 1.5 kilo malaking liempo
• 1 luya (hiniwa)
• 3 pirasong dahon ng laurel
• 6 butil ng bawang (pinitpit)
• 1 malaking sibuyas (hiniwa sa apat)
• 1 kutsarang buong paminta
• 2 kutsarang asin
• suka (pang brush)
• extra asin (para sa balat)

Paano Lutuin:

1. Linisin ang pork belly. Lagyan ng maraming hiwa ang laman na parte para mas mabilis maluto. Isantabi.

2. Kumuha ng malalim na kawali. Ilagay ang luya, bawang, sibuyas, dahon ng laurel at buong paminta. Ipatong dito ang pork belly. Buhusan ito ng tubig hanggang lumubog ang baboy. Budburan ng maraming asin bago takpan ang kawali. Lutuin ito ng ilang minuto.

3. Pagkatapos ng ilang minuto, alisin ang white foam na lulutang. Lutuin ang baboy hanggang sa lumambot. Baliktarin ang baboy paminsan minsan para maging pantay ang luto.

4. Tusukin ng tinidor ang baboy para macheck kung malambot na. Alisin ito sa kawali at ilipat sa cooling rack o sa pinggan. Palamigin muna ito.

5. Kapag malamig na, tusuk-tusukin ng isang set ng toothpick ang balat ng baboy. Pwede ka rin gumamit ng tinidor. Punasan muna ang balat ng baboy bago ito ibrush ng konting suka. Pahiran ang balat ng asin bago ito hayaang matuyo. Ilagay ito sa ref magdamag. 

6. Ipre-heat na ang airfryer. Kapag mainit na, ilagay ang baboy sa loob at iset ang air fryer ng 20 minuto sa 200 C. Kung walang air fryer, pwede mong ideep fry nalang ang pork belly sa kumukulong mantika hanggang maging golden brown at crispy.

7. Pagkatapos ng 20 minuto, ilipat ang crispy pork belly sa serving plate. Pwede mo ito ihain ng buo o hiwain sa serving pieces.

8. Papakin o samahan ng kanin ang crispy pork belly. Wag kalimutan ang paborito mong special suka o sawsawan na gusto mo! Yum!