Our amazing Braised Pork Belly is melt in your mouth, delicious! Cooked at a low heat for a few hours to create the most tender pork belly that is packed with so many great flavors to wake-up your taste buds. This is what should be on your dinner menu this weekend!
The Best Braised Pork Belly
Savory, indulgent, buttery pork belly. We were incredibly nervous the first time we cooked this beautiful cut of meat. But we simply went for it! And, as with many things, if you put your fears behind you and simply go for what you want, it is usually worth it. A little dramatic for pork, but applicable nonetheless and we have no regrets on this perfect dish. This traditional Chinese braised pork belly dish is also called hong shao rou. Follow along as we breakdown everything you need to know about making Chinese pork belly with this easy cooking method!
Looking for another cooking process? Try our Roasted Pork Belly or Smoked Pork Belly!
What You Will Need
- pork belly – you should be able to find a slab of pork belly at your local grocery stores or butcher shop.
- coriander and fennel seed – a quick toast in a small skillet will really amplify their flavor – simple and the best part!
- salt and pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must when cooking any meat!
- olive oil – a little bit of this neutral oil in the hot pan will help to sear the outside.
- chicken stock – option to use this or pork stock, either will bring lots of flavor and moisture.
- celery, carrots, onion, & fresh garlic – fresh ingredients that help add to the flavor profile of the braising liquid.
- whole peppercorns & bay leaves – perfect for slow cooking with the best flavors!
How To Make Braised Pork Belly
The first step to making this easy recipe is to put the coriander and fennel seeds in a small saucepan or frying pan to toast for a couple minutes. Then mix those with the salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Now rub this dry rub on all sides of the pork belly. Pro tip – for best results, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight before cooking.
Bring an oven-safe dutch oven to a medium high heat, drizzle in the olive oil, and sear the seasoned pork belly on all sides in the bottom of the pot. Next, place the piece of pork with the fat side up and add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and stock to the large pot.
Move the entire stockpot to the oven to cook at 300 degrees F for 2-3 hours.
Carefully remove the cooked pork from the deep pot of cooking liquid, cut into pork belly slices, and sear these slices for 1-2 minutes in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop.
Best Ways To Serve Braised Pork Belly
Feel free to serve this red braised pork belly any way you want! We love to serve this very popular dish on white rice or sticky rice with a generous drizzle of mole sauce. If you aren’t making the mole sauce, you could use regular soy sauce or a light soy sauce. Garnish with some chopped green onions. It would also be delicious with some braised bok choy or steamed broccoli. If you like a little kick of heat, you can add some red pepper flakes or drizzle of hot sauce.
Recipe FAQ
It is highly recommended to let this cut of pork cook low and slow for at least 2-3 hours. This will result in a tender and juicy pork belly!
This particular savory dish is really best when enjoyed immediately, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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Other Pork Recipes You Might Like
Braised Pork Belly
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our easy Braised Pork Belly recipe is absolutely delicious and packed with flavor for an amazing dinner at home!
Ingredients
- 1–2 pounds pork belly
- 1/2 tablespoon of coriander (seeds or ground)
- 1/2 tablespoon fennel seed
- 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2–4 cups chicken stock or pork stock
- 2 stalks celery, cut into large chunks
- 2 large carrots, cut into large chunks
- 1 yellow onion, cut into large chunks
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 6–8 whole peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Toast coriander and fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat for 1 minute, crush, and combine with salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub all over pork belly, especially the fatty side. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Add olive oil to a 5.5 qt. Dutch Oven and bring to medium-high heat; Sear pork belly on all sides. Place pork belly fat side up.
- Add celery, carrots, onion, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and stock – make sure the stock does not fully cover the pork belly, it should go about 3/4 of the way to the top.
- Place in oven for 2 -3 hours. Remove from oven and place cooked pork belly on a plate; set in the fridge to cool.
- Once you are ready to serve, cut the cooled pork belly into slices or chunks. Sear each chunk in a cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Serve immediately. Serve with some rice and homemade mole sauce.
Notes
- Overnight: letting the pork belly sit overnight in the salt rub isn’t required but will result in a better flavor – the recipe will still work if you cook it right away.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz
- Calories: 358
- Sugar: 2.9 g
- Sodium: 363.6 mg
- Fat: 32.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.4 g
- Protein: 7.7 g
- Cholesterol: 42.7 mg
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