9 Steps To Season Pork Belly For Easy Weeknight Meal
Pork belly is a cut of meat that is often used in Asian cuisine.
It’s usually roasted or boiled and served with rice.
You can season it before cooking to give the pork extra flavor.
The most common seasoning combinations are garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and brown sugar; however, there are many more you could try out too!
This article will show you how to season pork belly for an easy weeknight meal.
How long to season pork belly?
The most important thing when cooking a pork belly is that you give it enough time for the salt and other spices to penetrate the meat.
The amount of time will depend on the type of pork you are using and the desired flavor.
For example, if you are looking for a salty taste, then it would take about 24 hours; whereas, if you want a sweet flavor, then it would take about 12 hours.
3 tips to season pork belly
Ever wonder how to season pork belly? It can be a difficult process, but with these helpful tips and tricks you’ll be cooking up the perfect dish in no time.
Let’s get started!
1. Rub the skin side with salt and let sit for 1 hour
Allow the salt to absorb into and soften pork belly skin.
Rinse off after one hour, and pat dry with a towel before cooking or marinating in liquid for meatloaves; this will help keep moisture from escaping during the baking process.
2. Pat dry skin side with paper towels before cooking
The skin side of the meat should be pat dried with paper towels before cooking, as this will help it crisp up.
A dry surface helps seal in moisture and prevents fat from dripping or pooling during cook time.
3. Score skin side by making shallow cuts parallel to the edge using your sharp knife or razor blade
The best way to season pork belly is by scoring the skin side of it.
You can do this using a sharp knife or razor blade and make shallow cuts that are parallel with the edge of your meat.
How to season pork belly?
Equipment:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Rice wine vinegar
- Vegetables: carrots, celery stalks, onions
- Parchment paper or foil
- Aluminum foil
Instruction:
Time needed: 15 minutes.
This article will introduce you to how to season pork belly in the right way and how to cook it properly with all the equipment needed, so you can easily make your own at home.
- Rinse pork belly and pat dry
- Slice the skin off of the sides of the pork belly, being careful not to go too deep into the meat
- Rub salt and pepper onto all surfaces of the meat
- Add 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar to a pot with enough water to cover half of your cut-up vegetables (carrots, celery stalks, onions)
- Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until veggies are tender but not mushy
- Place vegetables in a bottom layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil, place seasoned pork belly over the top
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours or until fork-tender
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing into thin pieces about 3 inches long by 1 inch wide.
- Serve with steamed vegetables or fried rice
Conclusion
Now that you know how to season pork belly, it’s time for the fun part! You can cook this dish on an outdoor grill or in a cast-iron pan.
No matter which way you choose to go about cooking your meat, make sure you sear both sides of the meat before turning down the heat and letting it simmer away until cooked through.
We hope this has been helpful as we’ve explored the wonderful world of pork belly!