My wife came home with a huge slab of pork belly the other day and I decided to split it in half and start experimenting.  The result of one half was this ridiculously delectable Asian-inspired pork belly.  Packed with flavor, melt-in-your-mouth soft and perfectly crispy on the outside, it made for great sliders.  While it’s a little out of your comfort zone, it’s actually really easy to make and execute well.

HOISIN GLAZED PORK BELLY

Ingredients

• 3-4 Lbs. Pork Belly (No skin)
• 1/4 Light Soy Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce (Plus additional for glazing)
• 1/4 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
• 1 Tsp. Fresh Grated Ginger
• 1 1/2 Tsp. Five Spice Powder
• 1 Tsp. Sesame Oil

Instructions

• Place pork belly in a zippered plastic bag.  Set aside.
• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk well and pour over pork belly.
• Seal plastic bag, removing as much air as possible.  Place in a glass dish and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
• When you’re ready to braise, remove from refrigerator and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove meat from plastic bag and place into a glass baking dish.  Pour marinade over meat and add enough water to bring liquid up halfway on pork belly.
• Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 400 degrees.
• Lower oven temp to 200 degrees and continue to bake for 3 additional hours.
• Remove from oven.  Use a spatula to remove pork belly from cooking liquid and place on a platter.  Allow to cool for 1 hour.
• Cover platter with plastic wrap and place cooked pork belly in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
• When ready to grill, remove from fridge and slice with a sharp knife into 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices.
• Grill over medium-low heat to crisp pork belly brushing each side lightly with additional hoisin sauce.  Grilling should take roughly 15 minutes.  Be careful not to burn!

You can serve this fantastic meat on its own as a main dish, in an Asian-style taco or in sliders.  We devoured sliders made with Hawaiian rolls, the pork belly and topped with spicy kimchi – wow!  I know you’ll love trying this out and I’m sure you’ll look like a professional chef when you serve it to your family and friends.  Get this belly in your belly.  Dig in!