Crackling Pork Belly Roast
Being of Filipino descent, the craving for pork hits hard and often. We take pig seriously, but until someone can tell me how to make lechon in an apartment kitchen, I’ll have to settle for something more manageable.
Whenever squares of pork belly lie in the fridge, my gut instinct tells me to consult the Chinese. Only recently have I realized that our neighbors across the pond revere Wilbur as much as we do. Fergus Henderson’s and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s homages to all animals snouted and hooved are as enjoyable to read as they are to cook from. When they say kill it and use the whole thing, they mean it. Now that’s something I can relate with.
There are no weird or nasty bits here, though. Just the tame stuff that BLTs are made of. The belly is brined with juniper berries, cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves, presumably to thoroughly season instead of prevent the meat from drying out. Short of dipping the belly in a drum of napalm, you’d be hard-pressed to overcook something that is half lard.
After roasting for two hours, the skin wasn’t as crackly as I wanted it to be. The solution? Grab heatproof gloves and broil inches away from the heating element. Consider wearing protective eyewear as it puffs and sputters.
recipe adapted from Fergus Henderson’s The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating
Crackling Pork Belly Roast
makes 4 to 6 servings
Juniper berries, peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaves for the brine.
Ingredients:
4 to 5 pound piece of skin-on pork belly, preferably including the ribs
For the Brine:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
10 ounces / 280 grams salt (see notes)
12 juniper berries
12 cloves
12 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
4 quarts of water
For Roasting the Pork Belly:
2 onions, peeled and chopped
a splash of olive oil
a pinch of salt
Notes:
- Don’t turn your pork belly into a salt lick. The original recipe specifies a volume measurement for the salt (2 1/4 cups of coarse sea salt). Depending on the coarseness and brand of salt you use, the actual weight could vary significantly. Consult this helpful guide on brining (PDF file) to determine the amount of salt you’ll need. I used 2 cups of Diamond Crystal kosher salt for the 4 quarts of water needed in this recipe.
I own a box cutter, but it’s not for opening packages from Amazon.
Directions:
- Brine the pork belly. Place all of the brine ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour the brine into a non-reactive container (such as food-grade plastic or stainless steel) and allow to cool completely. Place the pork belly in the brine. If necessary, pin the meat down with a small plate to keep it fully immersed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF / 190ºC with a rack in the upper third of the oven.
- Drain the pork belly and pat dry with paper towels. Using a very sharp knife or box cutter, score the rind.
- Rub the rind with the olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Place the chopped onions in the center of a roasting pan or cast iron skillet and set the pork belly on top.
- Roast the pork belly at 375ºF / 190ºC for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- If the rind is not crisped to your liking, broil the pork belly under high heat. Move the belly around as necessary to evenly crisp the skin.
- Let the pork belly rest for 15 to 30 minutes before slicing.
Fill in the blank: The secret way to a Filipino’s heart is through his / her ___.
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July 30th, 2009 at 3:01 am
oh this is utterly divine !
July 30th, 2009 at 3:06 am
Mmm, crispy crispy pig fat
Even with my Irish heritage, I still believe you can’t go wrong with pork!
July 30th, 2009 at 3:10 am
Oh man, that looks good. I can tell you how to make lechon kawali in an apartment kitchen, is that okay? You should totally get a turbo broiler– intense, close heat for great crackling!
(that is, if you still have space. smaller than a spit!)
July 30th, 2009 at 5:05 am
I see pork belly on restaurant menus all the time, and it’s always so delicious! Good for you for making it at home… and now wondering why I haven’t yet.
July 30th, 2009 at 6:17 am
I love pork! OMG, that looks so good! I love the crispy skin…
Cheers,
Rosa
July 30th, 2009 at 7:08 am
Pork belly. Crispy skin. I don’t need to say more. Awesome
July 30th, 2009 at 7:26 am
I first got exposed to pork belly when I lived with a Vietnamese roomate. He def schooled me in that delicious cut
Beautiful job, I love the spice combo you picked for the brine. It’s like a Euro-Asian mix 
And Charlottes Web, hiliarious.
July 30th, 2009 at 7:41 am
I think that might be the secret way to this Scandinavian’s heart too
July 30th, 2009 at 8:28 am
The closest way to this Filipina’s heart is through that pork pork belly and that crackling!!!
July 30th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Lechon kawali ah este lechon oven pala. Looks so yummy. What did u use as sauce? Lechon sauce or spicy vinegar? I personally prefer the bottled lechon sauce.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:20 am
WOW, delicious looking, and very tempting. I am so glad that I don’t have any restriction of what to eat, if you know what I mean. I can eat just about anything and everything. YUM!
July 30th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
I have never had pork belly before. I wish I were your neighbour!
July 30th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Wish someone would make pork belly for us!
July 30th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I haven’t had a pork belly dinner in years. This looks absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing this with us.
July 30th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Wow, looks like that crackling skin of Chinese roast pork. Good job on that! I can almost hear the loud crunch of someone biting into it now.
July 31st, 2009 at 2:46 am
kakagutom naman! heheh.
July 31st, 2009 at 10:11 am
This is so yummy, look at that crispy pork skin goodness!
July 31st, 2009 at 10:26 am
OMG!!! this is soooooooooooooo delicious!! why aren’t we neighbors
the smell of this would have made me gate-crash on you!! i see myself eating with my hands hehehe
July 31st, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I have read so much about pork belly, but I haven’t tried making it yet. I wish I could come over to your kitchen and make it with you.
July 31st, 2009 at 11:09 pm
So good… This reminds me of the technique that David Chang uses for the pork belly buns. I brined pork belly, and roast at 350 and then pumped it up to crisp up the skin. I don’t think I salted the skin, which probably adds to the crispy crust.
Looks DELICIOUS.
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:12 am
The crackling looks amazing! Mine always goes chewy.
August 2nd, 2009 at 6:35 pm
That is so wrong in so many tasty ways
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:02 am
Hi! Came across your website thru tastespotting.com
Here’s a tip from cooking Chinese Pork Belly.
Always pierce the skin with little holes…. That’s the secret to making it crispy, scoring the rind will make it more crispy but really you need to pierce the skin with little holes. Also brushing white vinegar helps accelerate the cackling process. You can always blot the vinegar away if you dislike the taste.
here this blog post has pictures on how to pierce the skin:
http://happyhomemaker88.wordpress.com/2008/12/30/how-to-prepare-your-siew-yoke-for-roasting/
This will make sure that your meat won’t overcook as you are getting the skin crispy and slightly charred.
I will definitely try this method of brining instead of the usual flavours for Chinese Roast Pork! Thank you
August 3rd, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Oh my oh my — that looks sooooo decadent and amazing.
August 4th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Pork Belly! That is a thing of beauty, Heaven on Earth
August 5th, 2009 at 10:21 am
thanks for visiting my blog
this has got to be the sexiest-looking lechon “kawali” i’ve ever laid eyes on! if i die tomorrow, i want to eat loads of these (though that might hasten the process haha)
August 7th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Crackling. Pork. Belly. Y’know, I didn’t even need to see the pics for the saliva to start pooling. But seeing them did result in a mess on my keyboard as it finally overflowed! Delicious!!
August 7th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Awesome stuff. I do love a bit of pork belly with CRACKLING!
August 9th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
This dish sounds really tasteful! I love pork!
August 10th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Ahhh the classic lechong kawali – I’ve tasted alot of different crackling pork belly variations (Chinese, German, Belgian) but I still come back to the Filipino style over and over again. Served with some Mang Tomas sauce and atchara and I’m on a roll!
August 11th, 2009 at 1:31 am
Very good Recipe, i like porc.
Yummy
August 11th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Oh my goodness, this looks absolutely divine. How have you been? I am finally able to catch up with you and all my friends.
How the summer is treating you well!
August 11th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Unfortunately I can never get the crispy skin I want on a pork belly at home, so I tend to stick to braising and hot pots and the like. Alas!
August 13th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Oh man, you’re killing me. Posting something as amazing as pork belly and I don’t have an oven yet? You’re just cruel.
Also, I can think of some very interesting mad lib-esque words to fill in that blank…
August 17th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Okay, I am cooking pork this weekend! You are a torturer!
August 18th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
My oh my that is some crackling indeed! and heat proof gloves? ingenious Jude!
August 18th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
You’ve got my mouth watering! I love pork belly.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Oh my! Never thought of using a box cutter in the kitchen. This sounds like one great adventure!
LL
August 28th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I love pork belly and this especially looks great! I usually do mine the unhealthy way of deep frying it several times. Now I have a reason to buy a cast iron skillet.
September 6th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
It was actually Thomas Keller’s assistant, who is Filipina, who introduced me to my first taste of lechon. Oh my gawd!! Talk about crispy pork heaven. It’s one of those things you know you shouldn’t eat, but don’t give a damn about fat and calories once you have your first bite. You just have to have it.
September 10th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
You know, I don’t eat pork and it seldom appeals to me, but that first photo actually made my mouth water! looks delicious!
September 17th, 2009 at 10:18 am
My in-laws would go nuts over this recipe—they LOVE pork belly. I think I’ll send them your direction!
September 24th, 2009 at 2:57 am
That is the most perfect example of pork I have ever seen! Nothing I’ve eaten has looked like that.
September 24th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Jude- are you dead??? Where is our Jude!!
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Pork belly is popular in Colombia! We call it “chicharron”. This recipe sounds great. Beautiful site:)
October 8th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Ok….it’s time to come back now. I don’t think we bloggers can survive without you.
October 9th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Yo, where’d you go? I keep coming back this way to see what’s new, and keep getting taunted by pork belly. Not. Nice. Jude. Holding it against you forever
October 12th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Lovely recipe. Made this a few months back and it was amazing. This is the sort of food you’ll find in bars in the Caribbean,. Served with a variety of hot sauces.
happy cooking
Chris…
October 17th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
ahhh…i almost forgot we have a blockof pork belly that needs to be eaten up. love this! thanks for the sharing that brining PDF -saved that one to the desktop!
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Miss you Jude! Have you retired due to the fact that you made a perfect slab of pork belly? Are you just done striving now? Hope everything is good and you are back soon!
October 25th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
I have accidentally stumbled upon your blog and it’s so good. love the yummy looking pictures and I’m so glad to see that you’re a Filipino like me. I’m often curious what other Filipino food bloggers do
Nice work! gotta go!
your picture made me hungry
October 31st, 2009 at 3:37 pm
selam, hi
ben yeliz ingilizcem yetersiz olduğu için türkçe yazıyorum. haftalardır siteye girip çıkıyorum ve bütün sayfaları gezdim ama ilk defa bugün hakımızda kısmını okudum ve çok şaşırdım kan çekti demekki. süper şeyler ellerinize sağlık bayıldım ve bir sürü bilgi edindim kaç zamandır. bende yeni yeni bir blog sahibiyim birşeyler yapmaya çalışıyorum. takipteyim.
Türkiye istanbul’dan sevgiler
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Hey I was wondering how you are. I havent seen your comments or posts in a while.
Lori
November 16th, 2009 at 3:51 am
This is a recipe that really works! I don’t have time to fiddle around with recipes ideas that don’t work & are complicated and the result is questionable. So this method is easy and fool proof, just plan ahead and it’s ideal for busy folks that want to present a tasty, crackly piece of pork on the dinner table.
Chick
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Ilove your site! I just started blogging 3 weeks ago and discovering sites like yours makes me feel like a kid lost in a candy store. Your pictures are awesome. Totally love your blog.
Try my “lechon” alternative which I featured in my blog:
http://www.impromptudiva.com/2009/11/missing-home-and-three-ways-of-finding.html
I will definitely try this pork belly roast recipe of yours as it looks so heavenly… I love pork! So pinoy of me!
December 13th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I think I will wait till it warms up – then I can make it outdoors
That looks amazing!!!
January 20th, 2010 at 9:12 am
hey friend… how are you? Been wondering if all is well… please come back! We miss you!
February 8th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
The brine makes all the difference that crackling looks divine.
February 15th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Yum… killer brine. Gotta love pork bellies.
February 21st, 2010 at 8:30 am
Hi! Was wondering where you were. Missing your lovely posts. Hope everything’s fine…………..
March 5th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
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March 9th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
When I made my version of this for my Pinoy friends, they flipped out. I am grateful to this version for teaching me how to consistently get that crisp skin. I rub my bellies cut in 3 vertical strips(how they cut them on the left coast)with a BBQ rub. Smoke them fools for a 2-3 hours with an apple or cherry wood. Then throw in the hot oven to crisp that skin. The experience is akin to something special.Very special. Have mercy!
March 19th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Your comment sounds so much like something I’d say that I’m smiling bigger than usual. Welcome to the conversation.
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:21 am
WOW, this pork belly recipe looks and sounds incredible. However..I’m here to ask – where have you been? Did you move your blog elsewhere?
March 27th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Looks so amazing and perfectly done! This is best dipped in soy sauce with a bit of chili , or peppered gravy if you prefer gravy. mmm , thanks for this!
April 13th, 2010 at 10:12 am
You will discover unquestionably quite a lot of details like that to take into mind. That is a great point to bring up. I provide the thoughts above as general inspiration but clearly there are questions like the one you bring up exactly where the most significant thing can be working in honest great faith. I don?t know if greatest practices have emerged around things like that, but I am sure that your task is clearly identified as a fair game.
April 14th, 2010 at 8:56 am
ZOMG pork belleh!!! I like you already, look forward to nosying around ;P
May 17th, 2010 at 9:19 am
I see that I’m not the only one who stopped blogging. Hope you are doing fine.
June 12th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
That’s so yummy and crispy!
September 6th, 2010 at 5:19 am
I see pork belly on restaurant menus all the time, and it’s always so delicious! Good for you for making it at home… and now wondering why I haven’t yet.
September 13th, 2010 at 9:10 am
Hmmm…looks yummyliscious! I love Chinese-style crackling pork too!
November 19th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Oh my gosh. That looks … well, I have no words. It just looks so. Very. Good.
November 24th, 2010 at 4:55 am
what a delicious blog! here is so many uncanny inspirations!
have a nice time,
Paula
November 27th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
This is one divine looking pork belly!
January 10th, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Sarap ng lechon kawali! Nakakagutom!
January 26th, 2011 at 6:45 am
hello! i found your site ‘cos you added me on flickr. i would just like to share: i love pigs. they are cute, pink and yummy. i must say though, we generally just toss the whole slab (straight from the freezer!) into a crazy-hot vat of oil and that’s that. unbelievably crisp every time, and served with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar and chopped onions (preferably red) on the the side. (yep, i’m from your motherland, yo)
i like the chinese pork belly roast, too, what they call “char siu”. grab David Chang’s Momofuku recipe book and recreate his much-adored pork buns. you can’t go wrong. cheers!
April 5th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Fresh, crispy roast pork belly is what I miss most from living in Chinatown. At some point, I’ll have to try this recipe at home (probably when my vegetarian SO is out of town … ).
April 20th, 2011 at 5:37 am
good blog !
May 19th, 2011 at 5:43 am
[...] Crackling Pork Belly Roast Recipe | Apple Pie, Patis, and PГўtГ© Recipes Jul 30, 2009 … Fergus Henderson's Recipe for Brined and Roasted Crackling Pork Belly. The pork belly is brined with … [...]
May 19th, 2011 at 8:51 am
O_O That photo looks delectable…fried crispy fat? Yes please!
June 22nd, 2011 at 11:20 am
Yummy! I love just about anything Pork! Crispy fat required!
July 12th, 2011 at 12:44 am
I was thinking if I can copy this information in my website. I’ll give a link to your homepage, is it ok?
July 19th, 2011 at 11:10 am
What a cracking recipe!
September 13th, 2011 at 9:53 am
The traditional way is to first boil it then let it hang overnight. Just like chinese roast duck. You can use baking soda to make the skin crispy as long as you use it sparingly (about a pinch of it). Otherwise, it’ll taste bitter (as my wife found out). Then roast it in a “turbo” oven or convection oven or deep fry it.
November 3rd, 2011 at 1:24 pm
I’ll immediately clutch your rss feed as I can not to find your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly allow me realize so that I could subscribe. Thanks.
November 3rd, 2011 at 1:29 pm
I do not even understand how I ended up right here, but I assumed this publish was good. I don’t know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger for those who aren’t already. Cheers!
November 10th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
thanks, i will share this.
December 6th, 2011 at 10:34 pm
This sounds so delicious. Looking forward to trying this recipe out for the family this week. Pork Belly Roast sounds exquisite.
December 20th, 2011 at 2:57 am
This is so enticing like what the culinary students of Asian School of Hospitality Arts prepared in their food fair last week. Thumbs-up! Might want to explore: http://www.facebook.com/ashaschool
January 13th, 2012 at 11:38 am
[...] Of all the meals, I would’ve wanted to try Bev’s short ribs and Kundun’s ham and eggs. The pork belly looked really good, but I’ve made it many times. It’s extremely tasty and easy to do. Here’s a great recipe for it. [...]
January 18th, 2012 at 3:51 pm
[...] Crackling Pork Belly Roast on Apple Pie, Patis and Paté Braised Pork Belly on Wrightfood Kimchi Pork Belly Pizza on No Recipes Greek Black-Eyed Peas Salad on Simply Recipes Black Eyed Pea Cakes on Fat Free Vegan Kitchen Elizabeth November 12th, 2010 | Print This Recipe [...]