6 Side Dishes To Serve With Your Pork Belly Dishes

If you want to serve a great meal that everyone will enjoy, then pork belly is the perfect option.

This ingredient also goes well with so many foods.

If you don’t know what to serve with your next pork belly dish, read on and you will find the best ideas to make your meal better.

What is pork belly?

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Pork belly is a very versatile cut of pork that can be used in many different recipes.

This cut comes from the belly of the pig, hence the name.

It is made of alternating layers of meat and fat and is perfect for roasting, braising, or salting to make bacon.

Pork belly is affordable and can be found in any grocery store, butcher shop, or supermarket throughout the country.

The meat should be cooked until the meat is tender and juicy.

Depending on the cooking method, the skin layer can melt in your mouth or become crispy.

What to consider when choosing a pork belly’s side dish?

Pork belly is an incredibly popular dish in different cuisines, especially in Asia.

However, it is often served with one or more side dishes instead of eating alone.

So if you are wondering how to make your pork belly more special, here are some tips that can help:

Pork belly can be served with a starchy dish to complete a meal with some carbs and protein

Typically, in Asian cuisine, pork belly is often served alongside a bowl of rice, noodles, or other kinds of starchy dishes.

This ensures that your meal is full of protein and carbs that help fill your empty stomach.

Pork belly is fatty, so it shouldn’t be paired with a greasy side dish

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing a good side dish for pork belly is that the accompaniment shouldn’t be greasy.

The reason is that pork belly is one of the fattiest cuts of pork, so it might be a bit fatty for someone to eat.

Therefore, it is best to serve the pork belly dish with other sides that have a lighter texture, aren’t cooked with a lot of oil, or have a sour taste to offset the greasy taste from the fatty pork belly.

6 best side dishes to serve with pork belly

Now, let’s check out the following six side dishes to serve with your pork belly dishes:

1.     Rice

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Rice is a simple and popular side dish in Asian cuisine, and it goes well with any savory dish, including pork belly.

You should opt for plain steam rice in this case so that the mild flavor of this dish will make your pork belly dish taste even better.

2.     Baked beans

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While in Asian countries, people serve pork belly with steamed rice, in the West, baked beans are another favorite side dish.

The tender beans and earthy flavor of this dish will offset the savory and meaty taste of the main dish.

3.     Coleslaw

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Coleslaw can be a good option to serve alongside pork belly.

This simple and easy-to-make salad is crunchy, slightly sweet, creamy, and refreshing.

It will be a perfect match when served with roasted or fried pork belly.

4.      Pickles

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Another common side dish to serve with pork belly in Asian cuisine is vegetable pickles.

Pickles are made by brining raw vegetables (normally cucumber, onion, cabbage, or carrot) until they are safe to eat and have a sour taste to offset any greasy and savory dishes.

5.     Cornbread

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If you want to be fuller, serve your pork belly with cornbread.

This simple bread is made with corn, an affordable ingredient that comes with a pleasant sweet flavor.

The soft texture of cornbread will perfectly blend with the crispy roasted pork belly.

6.     Mashed potatoes

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You can also opt for mashed potatoes as a great and easy-to-make side dish to accompany your pork belly dish.

Mashed potatoes have a rich and creamy taste, but are not too heavy.

This dish also helps fill your empty stomach while adding a lot of essential nutrients to your body.

The bottom line

Pork belly is delicious meat to shine on your table.

If you are looking for new ways to serve this dish, hopefully, our article has been helpful.

The six side dishes above will help you serve up flavorful dishes that everyone in your family will enjoy!

Which of these pork belly recipe combinations do you think is best?