How to Make Chef John's Caramel Pork Belly - A Step-by-Step Guide

Welcome to Chef John's kitchen, where we believe in taking classic dishes and giving them a modern twist. Today, we're going to be tackling the deliciously indulgent dish of caramel pork belly. This dish is a perfect blend of sweet and savory, with the rich, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly being complemented by the sticky, caramelized glaze. This recipe is not only a show-stopping centerpiece for any dinner party, but it's also surprisingly simple to make, with just a handful of ingredients and...

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Ingredients

  • 1 bunch green onions - white parts chopped, green parts cut into 3 1/2-inch lengths, divided
  • 10 ounces whole pork belly
  • salt to taste
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ginger juice
  • ½ teaspoon soy sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 4 whole dried red chile peppers
  • ½ cup water

Information

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 hrs 50 mins
  • Additional Time: 10 hrs
  • Total Time: 16 hrs 20 mins
  • Servings: 2

  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
  • Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil on a flat work surface. Lay 1/2 of the green parts of the green onions down in the center of the foil. Place pork belly, fattiest-side down, on top of the green onions. Top with remaining green parts of the green onions and sprinkle with salt. Fold aluminum foil tightly around pork and green onions. Wrap pork belly again in another sheet of aluminum foil. Place wrapped pork, seam-side up, into a loaf pan.
  • Cook pork belly in the preheated oven for 5 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven and let cool in the oven for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and chill in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.
  • Remove pork from the foil and discard green onions. Cut pork into eight pieces.
  • Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp all over, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
  • Whisk brown sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, ginger juice, and soy sauce together in a bowl.
  • Remove most of the fat from the bacon skillet and discard. Add 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar glaze and increase the heat to medium-high. Add pork and cook until caramelized and glazed on all sides, about 10 minutes. Make a well in the center of the skillet and add white parts of the green onion, garlic, and peppers. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Pour water and remaining brown sugar glaze into the skillet; simmer until sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Nutrition

    410 cal.

    • Total Fat: 20g
    • Saturated Fat: 6g
    • Cholesterol: 51mg
    • Sodium: 2273mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 39g
    • Dietary Fiber: 3g
    • Total Sugars: 30g
    • Protein: 21g
    • Vitamin C: 23mg
    • Calcium: 128mg
    • Iron: 3mg
    • Potassium: 699mg