How to Make Momofuku's Pork Belly at Home

The Momofuku cookbook contains a number of ambitious recipes, but I began with what is just may be the simplest in this roast pork belly that makes appearances a few times in the book.  I had only made braised pork belly dishes prior to making this one, but I really like how the meat of the pork belly stays firm by roasting it.  The salt and sugar dry-brine lends a salty-sweet flavor that essentially turns the belly into a very meaty bacon.  I served the pork belly wrapped in lettuce with a pickled mustard seed dipping sauce, but it would be just as good served as a steamed bun filling, draped over steamed white rice, or thrown into a pot of ramen. 

Momofuku Roast Pork Belly
Adapted from Momofuku

Ingredients:

• One 3 lb. slab skinless pork belly
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 1/3 cup sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the salt and sugar.  Rub this mixture all over the pork belly, discarding any excess.  Place the pork belly in a roasting pan that is large enough for the pork to fit snugly.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 450F.
3. Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator.  Discard any liquid that has accumulated in the roasting pan.
4. Roast the pork belly at 450F for one hour.  Halfway through cooking, baste the pork belly with the rendered fat.
5. Reduce the oven to 250F and continue to cook for another 30 minutes.  Remove the pork belly from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.  Wrap the pork in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator (this step will make it easier to cut in the pork belly into uniform pieces).
   
6. Once the pork belly is chilled, remove it from the refrigerator.  Using a sharp knife, cut the pork belly into 1/2-inch-thick slices that are 2 inches in length.  
7. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
8. Add the pork belly to the pan and heat each side just until the meat is hot, 1 to 2 minutes.  Serve immediately. 
   

Tom Colicchio's Braised Pork Belly

I thought that the best way to show my appreciation for Tom Colicchio after he kindly answered my questions was to cook one of his signature recipes. His recipe for braised fresh "bacon" in Think Like a Chef helped bring the pork belly craze into home kitchens. As simple as the dish is to prepare, it is certainly restaurant-quality. I served it with Chef Colicchio's lentils, celebrating the beginning of autumn in New York.


Braised Pork Belly
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 lbs. pork belly, preferably with skin on
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 leek, white part only, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 3 cups chicken stock

Directions:

1. Heat of to 350F.
2. Pat dry the pork belly with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork, skin side down, and cook until well browned, about 15 minutes. Set pork aside.
4. Pour off all but 2 tbsp fat and add onion, carrots, celery, leek, and garlic. Stir to coat the vegetables with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
5. Add pork belly to the pan along with 2 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour.
6. Add the rest of the stock and cook until pork is tender, approximately 1 hour.
7. Remove the skillet from the oven and let the pork cool. Once cooled, remove the skin with your fingers and discard or eat it. Score the fat, then cut the pork into 4 pieces.
8. Increase the oven heat to 400F.
9. Strain the braising liquid, discarding the solids, and return the liquid to the skillet. Bring the liquid to a simmer and skim off any fat.
10. Return the pork, fat-side up, to the skillet. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the fat is browned, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.