What to Do with Bone-in Pork Belly?

Grocery stores fascinate me and it’s common for me to spend a couple of hours wandering the aisles, even in markets that I frequent often! It can be frustrating to my husband when he accompanies me on shopping trips, but my default explanation is: “I’m doing research!” Over the years, I’ve learned to save such super long research trips to when I’m shopping alone.

Last week, while perusing the butcher counter of Maxim market in San Jose, CA, I came across gorgeous slabs of pork belly with the rib bones still intact. Most pork belly is presented boneless, perfectly convenient for simmering into dishes such as a Vietnamese kho or its Chinese equivalent of red-cooked pork belly, or a Japanese version of char siu pork. This one looked different and without knowing exactly what I’d do with it, I bought one. The cost was $2.99 per pound and my slab of “fresh pork belly w/ ribs” weighed 3 pounds. You do the math. It was a minor investment that may pay off deliciously well.

What exactly is bone-in pork belly? It’s apparently the full belly of the pig. What we commonly call pork belly -- the stuff that bacon is made with -- has had the spareribs removed. Given that, pork belly with the ribs intact is a double whammy cut. If you like pork belly and pork ribs, why not keep them together?

Given my recent homemade Peking duck exploits, I plan to roast the pork belly to a crisp. Can't blame a girl for prolonging her adventure in fatty food! But I was wondering: Do you have experience cooking or eating this cut?  Or, how about some creative suggestions?

P.S. Of course I’ll report back on the roasted pork belly!

Comments

[Jarrett]

Hey Andrea,

I recently tried D. Chang's recipe in the momofuku book, with a few SE Asian additions (garlic and black pepper) and it was fantastic. Quick, dry cure of 24 hours with a thick coat of salt and sugar (50/50), draining off excess liquid a few times over that period. Then washed off excess cure, rubbed with garlic and black pepper, and roasted in oven. Came out perfectly crisp and was great folded in lettuce with herbs and squeeze of lime. Even better next day sliced and stir-fried with kale.

[sunflower]

I have seen this cut sold all the time in 99 range market. Good piece of meat.

Great as a roast. If you don't like the skin, you can peel it off and marinate it with a sweetish Chinese marinate like char siu sauce, leave overnight and roast. Very nice too.

If you want to try Chinese crispy roast belly (siu yuk), this is how I do it. http://sunflower-recipes.blogspot.com/2008/08/chinese-roast-belly-siu-yuk.html.

[Phuoc]

Hello Andrea!

Oh I love pork belly with bone. My dad makes the heo kho and it's so yummy; serve that with a bowl of rice and a nice clear soup and that would do for me. Mmmm..

Good luck with your endeavours, sorry I can not be of any use to you.

[Diane]

Ranch 99 has this too. I love pork belly but have never bought the bone-in kind.

[Andrea Nguyen]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Jarrett -- like your tweaks of D. Chang's pork belly.

Where have I been to not see the bone-in belly? It's a funny cut because it's really big and you just want to roast the darn thing. It's like a prime rib in a way.

[Online Consultation]

Wow, Interesting suggestion on what to do with the bone in pork belly. Thanks, this would be great.

[Thuy]

I never know what to do with the pork belly with the bone in. I alway ask the Mexican to cut the ribs out and I make crispy pork and char siu ribs. That's a bargain to get two differnt dinners with 1 piece of flesh.

[chiropractic marketing]

After attending a New Zealand Wine Tasting for Professionals a couple of months ago I have become intrigued with pork belly. The restaurant hosting the tasting served a small (1/2 x 1/2 x 1 1/2) single bite sized piece of pork belly on a small skewer that was out of this world.