Salt and Pepper Belly Pork

Salt and pepper belly pork is a simple and flavorful dish that is perfect for any occasion. Succulent pork belly seasoned with salt, and black pepper, and fried together with green onions, garlic, and garlic will get you a flavorful dish that is perfect for a weeknight dinner.

All you will need is to let cook the pork belly on low heat until all the fat excess from the meat will leak, then increase the heat and give a nice golden crisp to the pork belly that will keep the meat juice inside of the meat.

In the end, you should fry a little bit of the vegetables you decided to use, combine them together with the fried pork belly, to cook for a few minutes until the dish is ready to be served.

Even if the pork belly is fat meat because we will let the meat cook on low heat, all the fat excesses from it will leak.

The dish is very versatile and can be served with a variety of sides, such as steamed rice, roasted vegetables, or a fresh salad.

This simple dish has a delicious flavor profile that will please everyone.

Go ahead and give a try to this easy recipe of salt and pepper pork belly. Just make sure to follow all the quick notes from the recipe in order to get a better result in the end.

🥰 Why You Will Love This Recipe?

You will love making the salt and pepper pork belly because of its irresistible combination of flavors and ease of preparation. The juicy and tender pork belly, seasoned with a perfect blend of salt, pepper, garlic, and chili red pepper, creates a dish that is both savory and spicy, making it a crowd-pleaser for all palates.

🥘 Ingredients and Substitutes

• Belly Pork. It is important that you choose cuts of meat that have a ratio of 50/50 meat to fat. The pork belly should have enough meat and enough fat that will melt and will flavor it.
• Seasonings. Salt, Black Pepper.
• Vegetables. Chili Pepper, Spring onion, Garlic. This is the classic mix of vegetables that you must use for this recipe. If you want to go further, you can also add ginger.

👩‍🍳 Step-by-step Directions

First, wash the meat well and make sure the skin is clean. Then use a paper napkin to remove all excess water from it.

After this, take a deep pan with a thick bottom, preferably a wok, if you have one.

Set the fire to low and put the meat in the cold wok.

Quick Note: It is important to set the heat to low initially. We need to melt the fat. Otherwise, you will form a crust and the fat will remain inside.

Let the meat cook on low heat until it leaves a sufficient amount of fat. Approximate, 1/3″ on the bottom of the pan. As a guide, see the image below.

When the excess fat from the meat melts, set the fire to medium heat.

Now, we will start giving a crust to the meat.

Quick Note: As the meat at this stage will splatter a lot, be careful not to burn yourself and splash hot oil all over the kitchen. To avoid this, use a splatter screen for frying.

Pro Tip: Do not cover the meat with a lid because the steam that comes out of the meat will condense on the surface of the lid, and when you lift the lid, this water may sink into the hot oil and as a result, even larger splashes of hot oil will form and will splash in your kitchen.

So, the risk of getting burned is even higher.

Periodically, mix the meat to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan and to obtain a uniform crust.

The whole process can take 30-50 minutes depending on the amount of meat, the wok you have, and the quality of the meat.

When the meat becomes golden on all sides, it will be necessary to drain all the excess fat.

For this, put the strainer over a deep bowl, and pour the contents of the pan (together with all the oil) into the strainer.

Let all the excess fat drain.

While the fat is draining from the meat, cut the vegetables and put them in the wok in which we fried the pork belly.

Mix all the vegetables well and let them fry for about 30 seconds on medium-low heat.

Now, add the meat back to the wok over the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Mix them well, and let them cook together for 2-3 minutes.

Our salt and pepper pork belly is ready to be served. You may serve it as it is or near a plate of steamed rice.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

The easiest serving suggestion is near a slice of crusty bread that will let you dip into the flavorful stew.

Another option is to serve it near a plate with steamed rice or mashed potatoes.

Are you looking for a fresh and crunchy contrast? Consider serving the salt & pepper pork belly near a fresh salad.

🏆 Expert Tips. What to Pay Attention To?

• Pay attention to the meat fat. Choose a 50/50 ratio of meat to fat. To get a perfect balance between the amount of fat and the amount of meat you will get in the end.
• It is important to cook the pork belly in the begging on low heat to let the fat melt and only after that, you can increase the heat to medium to form a crust.
• Use a frying splatter screen that will stop hot oil.

♻️ Make Ahead, Storage, and Heating:

📋 Recipe Card: