Braised Pork Belly

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/5/22
Braised Pork Belly

The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 30 mins
Marinate Time: 8 hrs
Total: 12 hrs
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
781 Calories
44g Fat
28g Carbs
48g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 781
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 44g 56%
Saturated Fat 15g 73%
Cholesterol 150mg 50%
Sodium 1504mg 65%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 48g
Vitamin C 27mg 135%
Calcium 184mg 14%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 1372mg 29%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Once considered scrap meat, pork belly is now featured on trendy restaurant menus around the world. It's a fatty piece of meat, but when handled properly, it is delicious. This braised pork belly recipe is succulent and flavorful because it sits in a dry rub overnight and is then slowly cooked in a flavorful liquid.

This recipe is from Chef Donald Link of Cochon Restaurant in New Orleans. He and his partner, Chef Stephen Stryjewski, know their pork: The name of their restaurant is even French for "pig."

Enjoy this pork belly with such sides as mac and cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, or salad.

2:13

Click Play to See This Braised Pork Belly Recipe Come Together

Ingredients

For the Dry Rub Marinade:

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon ground fennel seed

  • 1 tablespoon ground allspice

  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

For the Pork:

  • 1 1/2 pounds pork belly (1 rectangular piece, at least 60 percent lean)

For the Braising Liquid:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for sautéing pork

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

  • 3 ribs celery, chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 3 whole tomatoes

  • 2 cups dry white wine

  • 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick

  • 1 whole star anise pod

  • 2 whole juniper berries

  • 1 cardamom pod

  • 1 whole clove

  • 1 quart chicken stock

Steps to Make It

Make the Dry Rub Marinade

  1. Gather the dry rub ingredients and pork.

    Ingredients for braised pork belly recipe gathered for dry rub marinade

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  2. In a small bowl, combine the salt, fennel seed, allspice, and black pepper until thoroughly mixed.

    Combine the salt, fennel seed, allspice, and black pepper in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  3. Rub onto all sides of the pork belly.

    Pork rub on the pork

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  4. Place the belly in a nonreactive pan and top the meat with any remaining dry rub.

    Place the belly in a nonreactive pan and top the meat with any remaining dry rub

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

    Pork pan covered with plastic wrap

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

Make the Braising Liquid

  1. Gather braising ingredients.

    Ingredients for braised pork belly recipe gathered for braising liquid

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.

    Oil in a pan

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  3. Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes.

    Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  4. Add the garlic and whole tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes.

    Add the garlic and whole tomatoes to the vegetables in the pan

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  5. Add the wine and cook until evaporated.

    Add wine to the vegetable mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  6. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, juniper berries, cardamom, clove, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil.

    Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, juniper berries, cardamom, clove, and chicken stock to make the braising liquid

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

Cook the Pork Belly

  1. Heat the oven to 325 F. Remove the belly from the refrigerator and place in a roasting pan.

    Pork belly on a roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  2. Place the tomatoes around the pork.

    Tomatoes and pork in a roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  3. Pour the hot braising liquid over the pork belly.

    Pour the hot braising liquid over pork belly

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  4. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook for 3 1/2 hours or until completely tender when pierced with a fork. (The pork belly can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated in the braising liquid until ready to proceed to the next step.)

    Pork belly braising in a roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  5. Remove the belly from the braising liquid and cool slightly. Raise the oven to 400 F.

    Remove the belly from the braising liquid

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  6. Cut the belly into 4 portions.

    Pork belly cut into pieces

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  7. Add a little oil to a hot skillet and sauté for 2 minutes, fat-side down. Finish warming in the oven for 5 minutes, then serve.

    Braised Pork Belly in a pan

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

Tip

  • Check your pork with an instant-read thermometer to make sure that it is done. The USDA's food safety guidelines state that the minimum safe internal temperature for whole pork cuts is 145 F.


How to Store and Freeze

  • Any leftover pork belly can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  • To freeze cooked pork belly, place in a freezer container and freeze for up to four months.


What's the difference between pork belly and bacon?

Pork belly is from the belly area of the pig, the same place where bacon comes from. The difference is that bacon is sliced and cured, while pork belly is not.