August 26, 2014
Crispy Golden Pork Belly
by Kirbie
This is the best pork belly recipe I’ve made. The pork skin is incredibly crispy, perfectly golden, and the prep work is very minimal compared to all the other pork bellies I’ve made. No need to score or puncture holes in the skin. My search is over for the perfect pork belly recipe.
I’ve been obsessed with making the perfect crispy pork belly. I’ve had some success (here and here), but one thing that really bothered me was having to score the skin because it makes it hard to slice pieces with the skin intact. I’ve eaten pork belly that has unscored skin so I knew it was possible, but I hadn’t yet come across a recipe that didn’t require that step and when I tried not scoring it, the skin just wouldn’t get crispy enough.
Then I came across this recipe found on Rasa Malaysia for an easy Chinese Roast Pork, a recipe she got from a friend. The recipe prep is very minimal. You don’t need to dry the skin overnight, marinade the meat, score the skin, or puncture holes. What really intrigued me was that it uses a salt crust to crisp the skin.
The salt forms a crust when it’s baking, so you can remove the entire thing without having the skin turn too salty.
The skin then crisps up beautifully, staying a golden brown rather than getting too dark or burnt.
I did make some modifications to the recipe, especially the prep as well as the cooking times. Just based on my previous experience I knew the meat wouldn’t be nearly as flavorful or juicy without the marinade because I’ve tried just doing the rub right before cooking and it really isn’t the same. I also wanted to make sure the skin was extra dry, so I went ahead and put it in the fridge for several hours to dry out and give time for the meat to marinate. The prep is still pretty minimal, you just have to plan ahead.
The end result? This was everything I was looking for. The skin is fantastically crunchy and stays so for hours. The meat is juicy and flavorful too. The pork slices cleanly. This is just such an easy and almost fool-proof recipe too. I’ve been nervous about making pork belly for parties because sometimes the skin starts to burn, sometimes it doesn’t crisp evenly, the skin starts to fall apart when slicing, etc. But none of these issues here. This pork belly is such a thing of beauty and definitely a recipe I’m going to make for a party soon.
Update! Recipe now updated with video
- 2 lb pork belly
- 1 cup table salt
For the Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup shaoxing rice wine
- 2 tbsp brown sugar you can replace with sugar substitute for low carb or keto
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Using a paper towel, pat skin of pork belly until it is completely dry. Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl and then pour into a rectangular pan that is big enough to hold the pork belly. Place pork belly into the pan, making sure only the meat touches the marinade and the skin stays completely dry. If the marinade level is too high you can pour some of it out. Place in fridge for several hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Completely line a roasting pan with foil (this will make clean-up much easier). Pour 1 inch of water into bottom of pan. Place wire rack on top of roasting pan to hold the pork belly. Place the pork belly on the wire rack. The pork belly will cook above the water, with the pork drippings dripping down below into the water. Make sure the pork belly is level (if one part is lower/shorter the skin will not cook evenly. if you have to, use something oven-safe to prop up a shorter part to keep it completely level). Spread 1 cup of salt evenly across the pork belly skin. Place into top half of oven. Bake for about 40 minutes until meat looks cooked.
Remove pork belly and increase oven temperature to 465°F. The salt that was poured over pork belly should have formed a crust. Remove salt crust from pork belly. Wipe off any excess salt from the pork belly skin. Once oven has reached desired temperature, place pork belly back into oven. Bake for another 30 minutes until skin is completely bubbly and crisp. Let pork belly cool a few minutes before cutting and serving.
- Crust idea adapted from Rasa Malaysia
- If you are doing a low carb diet you can substitute the brown sugar with a sugar substitute
- If possible, I recommend purchasing your pork belly from a Chinese market like 99 Ranch. The meat department at 99 Ranch sells 2 lb pork bellies that are designed for this Chinese-style of roasted pork belly. Make sure you don't let the butcher scour the skin.
- Nutrition information provided is for the pork belly only. It is difficult to determine the amount of salt and marinade absorbed into the pork belly, so they are not included in the nutrition facts.
Nutrition Facts
Crispy Golden Pork Belly
Amount Per Serving (0.125 of recipe)
Calories 587 Calories from Fat 540
% Daily Value*
Fat 60g92%
Saturated Fat 21g131%
Cholesterol 81mg27%
Sodium 36mg2%
Potassium 209mg6%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 10IU0%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Calcium 6mg1%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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I am abosoutely going to try this, sometime soon. A few years ago when I first had pork belly in a restaurant I found Morimoto’s recipe (it’s a 2 or 3 day ordeal?!) and attempted it. It did turn out pretty good because I was following the reprinted recipe by a food blogger – who documented it step by step with pictures etc.. as HE was making the recipe. It yielded good results but was a bit more labor intensive than I prefer.
This one looks tasty!
this one is quite easy! hope you like it!
Kirbie,
This recipe is everything. Tried it ast night with a few additions…..liquid smoke, chinese five spice, smoked paprika, and ginger powder; also used half the sugar but dark brown because that’s what I had.. Came out absolutely divine but next time I may blend the fresh garlic for a more pronounced flavor. Thanks for this super recipe, you’re a rock star!!!
wow, I love the idea of adding liquid smoke! thanks for sharing. I’m so glad this worked out well for you!
Can this pork belly be keto friendly without all the sugar?
you can make the pork belly without the marinade or you can use a diff marinade that doesn’t have sugar
I tried this but couldn’t get the skin so golden and crispy. I even left in it extra. is it meant to be broiled at the end or just cooked in the hotter oven temperature?
I am trying again so any additional pointers would be great!
Thanks
Hi there, the pork belly should not need to be broiled, just the higher cooking temp should be enough to cook the skin. Some things to keep in mind though: if your pork belly is bigger than it may need more cooking time. Also try to avoid baking other things while making the pork belly as it can also cause the heat to not distribute evenly. If it still isn’t crisping with longer baking time, you can try broiling it for a few minutes and that should crisp it up.
This looks AMAZING! Definitely saving this recipe to try soon 😀
it tasted pretty amazing! i need to make it again soon
Wow! That pork belly sure looks delicious!
thanks! we really enjoyed it
OMG Kirbie. Going to make this for sure. Thanx for figuring out the recipe in a simpler form.
make it! i think you’ll like it as much as we did =)
This pork belly looks so delicious and SO crispy. Definitely could devour some right now.. love the crackling.
the crackling was so good!
That crispy pork belly looks amazing, especially the skin!
usually i always pick the skin off and just eat the skin, but i thought the skin and meat went together so well on this one
It looks so delicious, I’ll definitely try making it. Never thought will be
so easy.
I was surprised too, but it is super easy!
Really interesting way of cooking the pork belly – I’ve tried several meats in a salt crust (most succesfully guinea fowl) but never Pork. I take a different approach normally but will try this one out. I normally slow braise (can be done days ahead) and then remove the skin and crisp that separately (it stays crisp for over a day). Here’s the recipe if you’d like it https://timedeating.co.uk/braised-pork-belly-celeriac-puree-pickled-oyster-mushrooms-pork-caramel-sauce-crackling/
thanks for sharing!
Oooo, salt crust! I have done the overnight thing with the scored top and vinegar on top to help draw out the moisture and I liked it well enough but the salt crust sounds like a good plan. Will have to try that out!
the salt crust really helps the skin stay crispy and it keeps the color from getting too dark. def try it out!
Wow that skin looks good. I’m totally drooling right now!!
thanks! i was having a hard time not devouring the entire thing.
Thanks for the idea! Does your recipe assume the shaoxing wine is salted or not?
I’ve only seen one kind of shaoxing wine before. never seen an option for salted or unsalted. but it’s such a small amount for the marinade that i dont think it should make a difference.
Thanks! Looks easy enough for me to try. Do you know what’s in the dipping sauce that comes with the crispy pork belly you buy at the store?
I actually don’t usually buy it from the store, so I don’t recall exactly but I believe it’s a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and garlic
Made this for my friendsgiving and family Thanksgiving and I think I got better reviews on this than the turkey. My only modification was to add 5 spice to the marinade for more flavor and I served it with hoisin sauce, which was entirely unnecessary since the pork belly was so flavorful already.
glad it worked out so well for you! I add 5-spice sometimes too. it sort of depends who I’m cooking for as some of my friends don’t really like that flavor
My salt didn’t form a crust. I used kosher salt. Was I supposed to mix it with water or egg whites first or something?
I used plain table salt for this recipe. But I think kosher salt should also work. You do not need to mix the salt with anything first. did you do anything else differently? I know several people have tried this recipe with great success. In fact, someone just showed me an instagram last night.
Did you just use Kosher salt for the crust?
No, just plain old table salt
I didn’t do anything else differently. I have an electric oven that maybe was the difference.
When you say electric oven, do you mean something different than the typical oven installed in kitchens which are also electric?
no, a normal kitchen electric oven. It was really good, the salt just didnt form a crust, I had to kind of scrape it off.
hmm, the only thing I can think of is if your oven didn’t reach hot enough temperature (I also recommend you place the pork in the top half of the oven versus the bottom half) or if your pork wasn’t dry enough. The skin needs to be pretty dry, which is why it sits out in the fridge overnight. if the skin wasn’t dry enough then the salt might have too much moisture to form a crust. I’m glad it still turned out well though.
I love the simplicity and the pictures. I’m going to try this tonight. Question about the pork belly. Where did you find a piece that was so even and had such a good mix of meat and fat ?. And how much per pound ? Here in the Bay area, I tried a few asian and mexican supermarkets (Ranch 99 and Mi Pueblo) but the pieces are overfly fatty with not much meat on there and it’s not very even
I actually got mine at Ranch 99. If you ask them, they will show you all the pieces in the display box and you can choose. I try to use the most even one that isn’t too fatty. I usually wait until it is on sale, as the selection seems to be better then
This looks amazing. Can I use “salt pork belly?” I didn’t realize this is what i bought until i got home and i would hate to waste it. With the salt crust you recommend and the salt cure I’m worried it might be too much. Thank you!
hi, I’ve never worked with salt pork belly so I really don’t know if it will work with this recipe.
I have tried making this using another recipe previously and while it tasted really good, the clean-up of the oven was a disaster. Oil splatter everywhere. Just wanted to find out if the salt crust helps to contain the splatter or if you have any tips on preventing this? 🙂
Thanks!
I think the salt crust does help a little with the splatter. I would recommend that after you remove the salt crust and you have to continue to cook the skin, put a very loose foil tent over the pork belly. this will prevent splatter once the salt crust is removed.
To die for. The best pork belly I’ve ever eaten.
yay! I adore this recipe. Who knew restaurant-like pork belly could be so easy right?
I am such a huge fan of Pork Belly!
Having never cooked one without braising it first, can you comment on the texture of the finished product?
The ones that I have cooked with the aforementioned method (I generally braise, press overnight in refrigerator, then sear slices in a skillet) basically are fork tender and nearly melt away when chewed…is this a more “roast-like” preparation?
the meat is not as tender as a braise, it’s more like a roast. but it’s still delicious with that crispy skin!
Hi from Phuket, Thailand. On the second cooking.. do you still place water in the tray?
yes you leave the water in the tray for the entire cooking process
Thank’s. did leave watre in. Worked out superb. Next time.. today, I’ll remove the tray from the oven 1/2 way so I can really level the pork, last time was a bit haphazard trying to level it in the furnace. Added cilantro, ginger and sesame oil to the marinade. Also. having made such a super marinade. I’ll freeze it for the next time.. doesn’t make sense to chuck it.. or should I? Regards from Siam.
sounds good! and you can def freeze it.
How does the skin feel after the first salt bake. Is it crispy then or getting there
I’ve tried this a few times now and the results are inconsistent
The skin tends to be firm and a dull red color after the first salt bake but crispy once done
But there are some places where it’s still soft and I have to use the broiler to finish it off
I think the piece of pork belly matters too. I’ve found 2 kinds in many asian supermarkets i.e A and B. The more expensive one has more fat, less meat and is more uneven. It’s more suited to making bacon. And the more expensive one, you still need to pick out which piece to use. I find the one with firmer skin leads to better results
the skin is firm after the salt bake but it won’t crisp up until the second bake
Tried this a couple of times now, loved the perfect crackling first time round but found the meat a little dry for my liking, so for the second go, after the first bake I drained the water and dripping from the pan, removed the wire rack and salt crust, lay the pork belly back onto the foil and then poured apple cider into the pan to cover the meat but not the skin and then back into the oven for the high temp bake.
This resulted in succulent moist meat, perfect crackling and the cider made a fantastic base for a flavour rich gravy.
interesting technique. I think it might be the cut of meat you have too. I haven’t had any issues with the meat getting dry. perhaps you are using a leaner pork belly.
i am trying it tonight.
I hope everything turned out well!
wow o wow its the best crispy pork belly .. I am so awesome a cook…well you can be too just like me..just follow the instruction and it will be all so perfect..enjoy…thanks
You said that you removed the salt crust in one piece when you took out the pork belly to increase the oven temp? So when you put the pork belly back in the oven, you place the removed salt crust back on the belly?
no, you remove the salt crust and leave it off, and place the pork belly back in without the salt crust
Awesome, thanks Kirbie. I found a 13lb pork belly slab that I’m using half of it to cure and smoke into bacon, and was looking for a recipe for the other half of the slab to make for a Father’s day gathering next week. I’m going to try this, looks delicious!
wow that’s a lot of pork belly! good luck!
JUST WOW!!! The skin was incredibly crunchy. I have made many variations of pork belly. This is hands down the best!!!
I’m so glad you think so! I’ve made many too and this is def my favorite. Plus it’s so much easier than other versions!
Hi,
Lovely idea! I’m trying it tonight’s dinner and the the meat was already in the oven. I spotted an error in the last line of instruction though; I know you meant to say “cool the meat” not “cook the meat” haha. Otherwise it’ll definitely be overcooked.
yikes, thanks for catching that! I’ve corrected it
I tried this tonight and it was amazing. My husband smoked the pork belly in a grill for a little while then brought it inside for me to prepare. Super easy and delicious! A success!
oooh, smoked version sounds even more delicious
Hi Kirbie, just want to ask if I can cook the belly at a lower temp and longer with the salt crust just so the meat will be more tender? Is that possible?
have you tried the recipe as is? because the meat is pretty tender…if you lower the temp i don’t think your crust will crisp up correctly
halo, i want to ask. which mode in oven i have to set? top heat, bottom heat?
sorry, sometimes i confuse to set the mode for baking and cooking. thanks.
bottom heat
Would like to know if any other vinegar like mirin or a wine vinegar can be used, haven’t been able to find shaoxing rice vinegar?
you can try wine vinegar
Actually, I am sorry I mispoke. The recipe actually doesn’t call for rice vinegar, it calls for rice wine, so a substitute would be something like sherry.
I tried rice wine vinegar instead of the rice wine (more by accident than on purpose) and it came out with a really funky taste. Would not recommend at all but the crispy skin part came out amazing, great recipe and my fault for getting it wrong. I’m looking fwd to making it again correctly this time.
rice vinegar definitely will have a stronger acidic flavor compared to rice wine. hope you try it again with the rice wine
I want to try this tonight in fact marinating right now. My only question is for the baking is the roasting pan covered or left open. Will let you know how it turns out
the roasting pan is left open
This looks so awesome! The only salt I have on hand is pink himilayn (sp) If I set it to fine grind, like table salt, do you think it would work?
sorry, I honestly don’t know. I haven’t worked much with pink himalayan salt before
We bought fresh pork belly, already skinned and sliced about 1/2 inch thick. Can I modify your process somehow to cook it? Help!!!
I’m really not sure what you are asking for. This recipe is specifically for roasting to make the skin crispy. Your pork belly doesn’t have any skin. Are you just looking for a recipe for sliced pork belly? there’s a lot out there on the internet and you definitely don’t need to do it in the oven if it’s already sliced up.
Should I use bottom heat for cooking the meat, and then top heat (broil setting) for the skin? Thank you!
Hi Sally, you shouldn’t need to use the broil setting for this recipe. good luck!
Hi Kirbie,
I have two questions: 1) Have you ever done this on a grill and applied some? 2) Was thinking of using your recipe for David Chang’s Pork Buns. Have you done this?
Thanks and it looks amazing.
I have not tried on a grill. I have used for the pork buns recipe though. it works great!
Hi! Question about the recipe. After you increase the oven temp to 465, does the pork belly still go in the top half of the oven or in the middle?
Thanks!
I kept it at the top half but you can do the middle too and it should be fine.
Thank you!!! It is indeed the best crispy skin pork ever! even better than the one you get at the restaurants, crispy skin, juicy meat. Thanks
so glad it worked out for you! I love this recipe and I also think it’s better than ones I get at restaurants!
Hello. The skin didn’t turn out as crispy and was soft and uneven. Is it because as soon as i put the marinade on it and dried the skin with a paper towel, i put it straight into the oven with the salt crust? After i took off the salt crust, i thought I would puncture some holes just in case. Some juices of oil came out of the holes, is that why it didnt crisp properly?
You only put the marinade on the meat section and not on the actual skin right? you don’t need to puncture holes in the skin after the salt crust. you should just be able to put it back and continue to bake. you might have also needed to bake it longer until the skin crisps up
Looks great…how many servings does this make?
the recipe is for a 2 lb pork belly
Tried this recipe this evening. It was close but skin wasn’t crunchy all the way through so still had a lot of chewing. Otherwise, pretty close. I’ll definitely try this again though.
you might just need to cook it longer until the skin crisps up.
If I have a 4-5 pound pork belly, should I keep it in one whole piece or should I halve it so that each piece is closer to the size that you used in your recipe? Will using a larger piece affect the taste or the crisping of the skin?
Sorry, I’m not sure of the answer to that. I’ve never had a chance to work with such a big pork belly before.
What level should the oven rack be?
Middle, so the pork belly is in the top half.
Made this today. It turned out fantastic. Crispy skin and moist delicious tasty meat. The sweet and salty was a hit. Keeping this recipe and will repeat soon…
so glad to hear! i love using this recipe
I have some pork belly strips that I bought from a local Asian market, will that work or do you think I need an actual slab of pork belly?
This recipe is designed for an actual slab of pork belly.
Hi Kirbie! I Iive in San Diego and want to try this recipe and was wondering where you bought your slab of pork belly. I haven’t seen any at the stores I normally frequent.
I get mine from Ranch 99!
Hi Kerbie, thank u for the recipe. I followed your recipe and it turned out nicely. I love the crispy texture of the skin but dislike the saltiness. If there is any method to reduce the saltiness from the skin?
the skin shouldn’t be salty. you removed the entire salt crust right? and you didn’t get any marinade on the skin?
Hi Kerbie, yes I removed all the salt crust from the skin. I even used the brush to brushed it off for any tiny salt grain left and the pork was plain, no herb, nothing.
hmm, i wonder if it was the pork itself. the way it was preserved and packaged, they might have added a lot more sodium to the skin. Have you tried getting your pork belly somewhere else? A different vendor or different brand?
I made this! It was oh-so good. Seriously easy, tasty and crispy! I dried it 2 days uncovered, no salt, because I got lazy. Only marinated the bottom a little while in Dale’s, because I thought it would be good. It was! Other than that, I followed the directions. BTW the foil liner was a most excellent tip.
so glad you enjoyed it!
I was so excited to make this, but when I opened up the package of pork belly, I discovered the rind had been removed. Disappointed, I proceeded with the recipe anyway, layering the salt directly onto the fat cap, hoping it wouldn’t make it inedible. The result… amazing. It was golden, juicy & flavourful, not too salty. I’m not sure I even missed the crackling (although I do look forward to the next attempt with the skin on). Thanks for a great recipe, Kirbie!
wow, i’m so glad it worked without the rind!
Hello and good afternoon. I have marinated my pork belly for a day and let it dry for a day in the fridge. I am going to salt and prepare it tonight, my question is what kind of salt? There are a lot of salt choices out the (sea, kosher, iodized) which one would you recommend?
i use table salt for the crust
I have never cooked pork belly but I had it at a party a while ago and could not stop eating it. I wanted to make it this year for a holiday party. I googled and found this recipe. I just made it and it came out delicious!!! Thank you so much Im sure everyone will love it when I bring it to the holiday party!!
yay! this has been my go-to for holiday dinners. So glad you liked the recipe too!
I made this at work today. I followed the instructions to the letter. I actually marinated the pork belly overnight as this was an option in the recipe. I placed the pork belly in the refrigerator in an open top dish to allow the rind to dry thoroughly while the marinade did its thing. So funny how people here were freaking out when they see the table salt being applied to the rind prior to baking. They are just unfamiliar with the use of a salt crust. Anyway, the pork belly turned out fabulous. I had many people as taste testers. Most were willing to try it and LOVED it. Don’t fear an overnight marinade. It was delicious. The balance between the brown sugar, the wine and the soy sauce is spot on. The cracklin’ crust appearance wasn’t as nice as in the OP’s pictures-more of a rustic look. But this was a huge hit and I will make again.
thanks for sharing your experience!
I’ve tried this so many times now. I found that it’s much easier to get consistent results with a nice even slab to begin with. Overnight marinade isn’t really necessary. A few hours will do. I prefer to use some 5 spice powder. It’s a bit more authentic. Also I like to score it with a sharp knife horizontally and vertically. In that way, it’s easier to cut into smaller pieces as you can just follow the markings with a sharp knife at the end. Finally, I’ve tried this in my oven many times and it didn’t crisp up and I had to use the broiler at the end. But a more foolproof method was to use my toaster convection oven as the heat is more even. You still have to be careful since it’s a little smoky at upwards of 450. But it doesn’t take as long to crisp up and the crispness is more uniform and consistent
thanks for sharing your results! I agree about starting with an even slab. I haven’t had any issues of it not crisping in the oven though. The worst that has happened is that I had it crisp up too much once and the skin was hard to cut, though still edible.
This recipe is pure pork belly/crisp skin heaven! This was my first time cooking pork belly ever and it was AMAZING! The skin is so crunchy and not gummy at all and the meat is so tender and flavorful. This is to die for. The only thing is that I already had my pork marinated when I found this recipe. I used oregano, orange juice, pepper, some salt and some goya seasoning. Mine was in the refrigerator for 2 days before I could cook it (that’s a story for another time) but it was totally worth it.
LOOOVED IT!
so glad you loved it! I love this recipe. Who knew making restaurant-like pork belly was so easy right?
And I was wondering, I purchased this cut has skin but it’s not from the belly but from the leg. Can I use the same cooking time for it and same method?
I’m a little confused, so did you purchase the belly or did you purchase leg? The leg won’t have the same fat as the belly so it won’t work the same.
No, I just purchased some leg this time and wanted to know if the cooking was different. But the times I’ve done your recipe have been with belly so no problem there. Thanks a lot.
ah, got it. I haven’t tried making pork leg, but I am pretty sure it’ll be different. Pork belly has that huge layer of fat which helps crisp the skin and keeps the meat from overcooking. I imagine the cooking time and method for the leg would be much shorter. sorry I cant be of more help!
looks amazing Kirbie,!!! never cooked it before so giving it a go,it’s marinating right now for dinner tonight,can’t wait to see how it turns out.
good luck!
Do u have a good gravy to go with this
Since this is a Chinese-style pork belly prep, it’s not usually served with gravy. It’s usually served with a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, chopped garlic and chili sauce. Try it out!
I tried this recipe and it was good!!! Would you know how to keep the skin crispy until the next day? Thanks!
You can try reheating it in a toaster oven
Mine was real fatty ,any way to render more fat out. Tasted great.
You can try cooking it longer to render out more fat or try to select a less fatty piece next time.
The recipe worked great. I didn’t quite need the additional 30 min at 460F, 15-20 min was fine. The salt crust works great, I’m going to try that on fish next…any suggestions on which fish cook great with the salt crust. Thank you and happy new year.
I think the salt crust would work great on a lot of fishes, especially ones where you enjoy eating the skin. I haven’t tried it out yet though so I don’t have any suggestions, sorry!
I want to try this, it looks so good! I am on a low carb/ketogenic diet though. Wonder how it would taste without sugar? Any suggestions?
You can skip the marinade if you want or use a diff marinade. if you just omit the sugar from the one I provided, your marinade will be too salty
My mom made this for the holidays and it turned out fantastic! The crispy skin was absolutely perfect and we all enjoyed it. She was very happy with the easy recipe. Thank you!
Yay!! =) Glad your family enjoyed it! Hope you had a great holiday!
This worked as advertised – but don’t believe that you will end up with tame little appetizers for finger food at your party.
The crispy skin was amazing but the fat layer expands with heat while the meat layer retracts so you end up with a mis-shapen greasy beast.
You should definitely plan on further preparation.
Hmm, I had no issues as you can see in the photos. I suggest you start with an even piece of pork belly, so that the end result is pretty uniform. Also you can try choosing one with a thinner layer of fat and thicker layer of meat.
In the recipe you said to use rice wine, but in the comments it said rice wine vinegar… I already have it marinating, but because I didn’t have rice wine I used sherry. If it was supposed to be vinegar, I probably should have used Apple cider vinegar as my substitute. I’ll let you know how it turns out, just wanted some clarification.
it is supposed to be rice wine as stated in the recipe. I think I know which comment you are referring to and am correcting that. I’m not sure why i said that–I think I was thrown off because the commenter asked for any other vinegar substitute and I may have tried to reply too quickly without reviewing the recipe again. thanks for pointing that out
Thanks for the recipe, it has turned out wonderfully crunchy and perfectly cooked.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Am getting ingredients together to cook your lovely pork belly, exciting. Is it okay to use fan bake oven setting?
sorry, I am unfamiliar with the fan bake setting!
This is a great recipe Kirbie. Very crispy and the marinade made the meat lovely and juicy. We also reduced the marinade to make a sticky sauce to go over it – yum!!
so glad you enjoyed it! =) =)
Tried this for the 1st time tonight, followed the instructions almost exactly – I decided to score one-half of the slap just to see what the difference would be, the salt crust didin’t come off in one piece, but looked fairly similar to the photo, I scraped off what didn’t come off in a sheet section, the un-scored half was definitely NOT puffed up and crispy, the edges of the scored section were, but still not great overall, meat was great – tender and flavorful, but very disappointed with the crackling – any ideas? – gas oven
hmm, so I’m not familiar with gas ovens. I’ve never baked with one before and I’m thinking that might have been a factor. My understanding is that gas ovens generally don’t heat as evenly as electric and also produce more moisture. Both of those factors could have led to the latter half not crisping up. You might need to just adjust things to work with your oven. Perhaps stick with scorching since it seemed to work?
I used a gas oven and it worked out perfectly. The only reason why it wouldnt crisp up perfectly is because 1. It wasnt completely (and I mean completely) dried out. 2. oven wasn’t as hot as it should have been. Don’t be scared to increase the temp a bit at the end. 3. Make sure the salt covers every part of the skin. Might have to increase the salt amount but that’s OK. Just make sure the skin is dry dry dry.
This looks wonderful. I just read through all the comments. Gill’s comment made it seem as if the second baking of the pork belly after the salt crust is removed, was never done. Which would have given him the results he got. Perhaps that was the problem, rather than the gas oven. I cook with gas. I’ll let you know how mine turns out!
I am eager to hear your results!
Really delicious and the crackle was the absolute best EVER EVER!! I also added ginger to the marinade and used pork spare ribs instead of a piece of belly, results were amazing. I am making this again tomorrow and thought I would leave you a comment and to thank you Kirbie, your a star for giving me this recipe
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! I’m so happy to hear how well it turned out for you!
Hi, I was really interested in making this, but my butcher delivers my pork belly already scored. Do you think the salt crust would work with the skin scored? Thanks!
hmm, I think it should still work!
Hi Kirbie, have you received any feedback of results using a gas oven or gas convection oven? Thank you for any feedback, Sean.
I haven’t tried it with a gas oven though I do remember someone leaving a comment that they had successfully done so. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Hi, my marinate only covers half the pork. Difficult to get it just right to cover up to just below the skin. Is this ok?
It’s sitting in the fridge now – can’t wait!
I think that should be okay. You can always dip the pork in sauce after if you feel like the meat didn’t get enough marinade.
Did everything as above. But skin was rubbery, no crackling at all. Don’t know what I did wrong. I’m thinking next time I would try with fan on top and bottom.
I’m sorry to hear that. I’m not sure what went wrong though you mention fans, so I am guessing you are using a convection oven? I believe this can work in convection oven but I don’t know if you need to adjust the cooking for one as I haven’t tried it with a convection oven.
Hi Kirbie,
I use an electric oven. I switched to heat from bottom but the salt didn’t crust at all. So in the second part after salt removed, I switched to heat from top and bottom so there was some crackling at the end. I am thinking to try again with heat from top (even though I saw in your comments that should use bottom heat) but saw from the original recipe in your link that they used heat from top. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Hmm that is strange. It sounds like your oven isn’t getting hot enough but I’m not positive. Let me know how it works with the top heat
What is a substitute if I have no shaoxing rice wine?
I’ve heard sherry works
Hi Kirbie,
I am so excited. I have bought a lovely piece of Pork Belly and was looking for cooking tips. OMG I cannot wait to do this. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks for this; your looks great.
I hope yours came out well!
Hey! I just wanted to say that I made this for the first time a few days ago and MAN that belly came out absolutely perfect! I did a few things that I think helped: 1. Let it marinate for 24 hours, 2. Added about a teaspoon or more of some Chinese 5 spice to the marinade, 3. folded a piece of aluminum foil around the sides snugly with about 1 inch or so high border around the sides for the initial 40 minute bake time and then removed for the 465 bake time.
I’m absolutely surprised how perfect this came out without having to stab a zillion holes in it, brush it with vinegar, use the broiler and watch the meat like a maniac. *two thumbs up* I’ve already told all my friends about this exact recipe. Thank god I found your recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Hi Kirbie! This recipe is amazing, i have made it 3 times now with much fanfare from my husband. We get the best pork bellies from one of our local Korean markets and this has become one of my favorite cuts to cook. Every time I make it, the meat is cooked to perfection, tender, and, juicy, BUT my skin isn’t crisping up nearly as beautifully as yours. What could I be doing wrong? I have resorted to popping it under the broiler for about 10 minutes to get just a mild crisp to the skin. I want it to crack when you bite into it. Any additional suggestions?
Thank you!
hmm, that is strange. I wonder if maybe your oven isn’t getting hot enough or maybe you have too much water in the pan below causing too moisture in the oven. You can try using less water. Also, did you increase the temperature to 465F to cook for 30 minutes after removing salt crust? That’s when my skin crisps up. Also just to double check- are you doing a salt crust? because that is the key to drying the skin so that it can crisp.
This recipe is one of my favourites! It works everytime and it never fails to impress my guests. Great work!
so glad to hear that!!
thanks for the recipe it is great i just made it for mums birthday and we all loved it
I’m so glad!!
My first time making these, marinated them overnight plus added fresh ginger. On the second oven cook, I sadly burned them!!!! Was able to rescue some larger pieces and boy, I have to make these again a s a p. Love the salt technique very much…next time I’ll keep an eye on them so the won’t burn again. I had them in the upper part of the oven just like you said but I think my oven is hotter than what it says. Thanks for the great tips.
Oh no, sorry to hear that it got burned! Hopefully it will work out the next time. It is a little tricky with timing and temperatures sometimes because everyone’s oven operates just a little bit differently. You may want to shorten the time or move it to a lower part of the oven.
I am from India and pork belly cut is very uncommon…I have to tell my charcuterie guy who incidentally is one of the top retailers days in advance for a pork belly,which when I do get is nothing compared to the beautiful cuts you get ..anyway,I followed your recipe exactly and I got the best crispy skin I have ever eaten..thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Do you have any other marinade,didn’t really like the soy/wine combo?Any South American ?
glad you like the skin! No I don’t have any South American style marinade, but I’m sure there are recipes out there that you can use!
Quite funny how people use Kosher salt – – on pork.
Oxymoron?
haha, I didn’t think about that
Hello from Holland Kirbie,
Before finding this more easy with fabulous result of yours I made this crispy pork belly brushing the skin with acid , a lot of needling and a salt crust. It was a lot of work but the result is crispy. But the crisp layer sometimes got lost when I cut the belly.
So is it also OK when I skip (!) the needling and the acid layering ? Thanks for your time and many greetings from Holland .
Hello from the US! this version does not need the needling or acid layering. if you just follow the steps, it should work! good luck!
Hi. Tried your recipe and it worked very well 🙂 Thanks for sharing
Next time, I might add some 5 spice powder
glad you like it!
HI, Im going to try this tonight, I have done pork belly before but I usually put oil on the skin and salt. do you need to put oil on the skin at all in the recipe?
nope! you actually want to keep it as dry as possible.
Can I roast it in a convection oven or microwave oven?
I have not tried. Sorry!
A few folks have asked whether this works with a larger piece of pork, and I can testify that yes, yes it does! I made this with an 11 pound slab of belly and it came out really well. You do need to adjust the cooking time, as it took closer to an hour on the lower temp. The salt did not come off in a single crust, but I may have simply put too much salt on in my attempt to scale up the recipe.
In any case, the skin was gloriously crispy and the technique definitely does work with a larger piece of meat, but I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who needs to follow a recipe precisely.
thank you for sharing! I’m so glad to hear it works for such a large slab of belly!
This was brilliant – worked first time with lots of lovely crisp crackling! I used apple cider instead of rice wine for the marinade, and if you save and reduce the juice it makes a great sauce. Served with mashed potato and asparagus – a winner! 🙂
so glad you enjoyed it!
IT WORKED! Much to my surprise. I actually just received an airfryer and heard that it’s easier and cleaner to make pork belly in it. So I actually tried 2 different methods of making pork belly – using your salt crust method and a different dry rub/poking the skin method. This recipe blew the other one out of the water and was a lot easier!!! The salt didn’t turn into a crust but halfway through, 8 just scraped it off and it worked the same, i think. I still ended up with a gloriously golden brown crust! Thank you for sharing the recipe! I’ve favorited and shared to my friends since they were all asking.
I’m so glad it worked for you!! I’ve tried so many methods but this one is my favorite too
Ok, i am trying this out as i have it on the menu for a cocktail party for 40 next week! yikes! I wonder if i can do the salt crust bit at home and do the final 30 mins at 465F at the party later in the day??? Ever done this?
Sorry, I’ve never tried breaking up the steps. I always do it at once. But the crust does stay crispy for a long time, so you could possibly do it all early in the day and then briefly heat it up right before the party. Good luck for your cocktail party!
This worked beautifully, I can’t stop eating the skin!
so glad you enjoyed it!
This is just beautiful. Marinated for about 15 minutes and turned out perfect for us. It would’ve been too salty otherwise. Salt crusted up like it shouldve. My pork belly wasn’t as even as I thought it was so at first only the outside crisped up. No problem, I just let it rest for a few minutes and cut the outside part and threw it back in the oven for another 30. Worked like a charm. Next day it was still as crispy and moist as it was the night before. My family can’t stop raving. Just follow the direction(s) guys. Thanks so much
thank you for taking the time to let me know how it turned out! I really love this recipe and am so glad it worked out for you!
Have tried this with average crackle result ,are your temperatures,for a fan forced oven or not !
the temperatures are for a conventional oven
What a success making pork belly for the first time with your recipe! I would post a photo but unable to in the comments. We enjoyed the very moisty yet ultra crispy pork belly!! Thankyou!
I’m so happy to hear that! unfortunately the comments don’t allow for photos but feel free to email me a photo or post on my facebook page or tag me if you share on instagram. I’d love to see how it came out!
Skin too hard to cut, followed exact directiona
it sounds like you might have left it in the broiler part too long because that is the part where the skin crisps up. Depending on the thickness of your pork belly skin and also oven, you may have needed to take it out a little sooner. I’m sorry you had some issues. I hope it was still okay
I made this for friends last night, let it marinate (used apple cider instead of rice wine, added coriander and Chinese five spice) in the fridge for 3+ hours and after the first 40 minutes I emptied the water from the pan, replaced with apple cider vinegar and put the pork back in without the rack. Was delicious! Highly recommend!
yay! so glad you enjoyed it!
My question is how long do you cook at 350 before you cover the skin with salt and turn the temp up and place on top rack. some clarification would be helpful. Thanks!
I’m sorry if you don’t find the instructions clear. The skin should already have the salt crust on before you put it in the oven for the first time. As stated in step 2, you preheat the oven, and then you prep the pork belly on the rack, the water bath, then cover it with salt and then you bake it at 350F.
Used your your method for Christmas dinner last night and it worked a treat. Instructions were straight forward and I received heaps of compliments for it. Thanks and Merry Christmas!!!
I’m so glad this worked out well for you! Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas!
Ive tried your recipe 4 or 5 times now came out perfect !!! Thanks for sharing!!
I’m so happy to hear that! thanks for your comment!
Hi! I’m so excited to try out your recipe for our Chinese new year dinner that I’m hosting! The skin looks crazy crispy! I have question about the skin. When you buy your pork belly, does this recipe work with pork belly that has been skinned? A lot of stores actually remove that super tough, yellowish, hard-to-cut outer skin layer and just leave the thick, white fat layer WITHOUT the skin on top. I’m having a hard time finding a slab of pork belly that actually has the super tough skin on top of the fat in the Asian stores (and Costco) here in Seattle area. Just wanted to double check on what you use. Thanks!
I use pork belly with skin, which I buy from Ranch 99. I think a lot of chinese markets will carry the pork belly you are looking for as it’s a popular dish to make this time of year.
Hi my butcher doesn’t sell pork belly with the skin on will this still work? on just the fat part
Unfortunately, I believe this only works with skin. You may want to try out Chinese supermarkets as they usually sell slabs of pork belly with skin as it’s a popular dish to make
I made this last night and the meat was very juicy and flavorful but my problem was that the skin bubbled up big bubbles instead of small ones like your picture. A lot of the parts and sections of the skin were also too salty to even eat. It was crunchy though! what can I do different to get the skin not salty next time?? I made sure it was completely dry for about 6 hours before putting on the salt crust to bake, fyi.
Hmm, the salt crust should add a little salt flavor to the crust but not make it too salty to eat. Was the skin of your pork belly scorched at all? Because that would cause too much salt to seep into the skin. I know when I buy my pork belly I have to specifically request the butcher not score the skin for me. Also once you remove the salt crust, if there is some excess salt left on your pork belly, you should wipe that off before the second bake. I hope that helps.
Wow, I have been in all corners of the internet looking for a great pork belly recipe and ended up here on your very familiar website that I look at daily!! Should have thought to look here first! I am making this rig now for Bahn mi sandwiches in honor of the year of the dog!
hello there! I hope the recipe turned out well for you. I just made it again this weekend for Lunar New Year.
Made this several times now. Thanks for sharing the recipe, the instruction is very clear. The more I make it the easier it gets, and it tastes better than the one sold in restaurant.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I just made it again too!
Do you have a photo or video on how the roasting should be done with water?
Hi, I just recently updated the blog post with a video. You can view it right above the recipe box or on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-1UpO3FtZo&list=PL3KsjSv3Q1Yt6yyBBmeL32I7jI2k05ooj
I have come back to this recipe time and time again – I really love crackling, and this is the most consistent and reliable method for maximum crunchiness! Thank you so much 🙂
I’m so glad this recipe has worked out so well for you!
I tried this awesome recipe for the first time ever, and omg heaven!!! It turned out perfectly the first time round. I used a chunk of side pork instead of pork belly (only cause that what I’d bought before looking up this recipe) but it worked just as good. The only sad thing was that it didn’t last very long (was eaten too fast lol)
Really easy recipe to follow ?
Thank you so much!!
Can I get some advice on how to cut up the roasted pork into small bite sized pieces without the skin separating too much? I find the cutting part most tricky. Not sure if it’s the knife that I’m using (a sharpened chef’s knife).
I use a meat cleaver. It needs to be a very strong, swift, single fluid cut each time if possible. You should be able to slice through the skin in a single motion. If you’ve ever seen them cutting it at chinese bbq places, or maybe look at videos, that may give you a better understanding.
Thank you for the advice!
Thanks Kirby! This works a treat. Unfortunately the pork belly had been scored by the butcher, very roughly, and a little deep in one spot so as it cooked the juices came through but other than that one area the rest of the crackling was magnificent. Next time I’ll ask for unscored meat.
I’m glad this worked for you and hopefully you can try again without the pork being scored!
I hope you are still reading comments on this recipe you posted years ago. This looks so amazing and is so beautiful. My question is what specifically do I look for to get a pork belly. I know my regular supermarket won’t have them. I live in Houston a and there are tons of Asian markets. I need to know specifically what to ask or look for.
Do you have a 99 Ranch Market in Houston? Chinese markets like 99 Ranch carry pork belly slabs that are around 2 lbs and ideal for this recipe. You just need to make sure to ask the butcher not to score the skin for you
The recipe worked for me- for the first time, I had a crunchy skin. Putting salt on top really helped. Very happy. Next time around, might marinade slightly differently and possibly even let the marinate fluid stay in the pan along with the water during the oven process.
I’m glad it turned out well for you!
I’m not having any trouble getting the skin crispy, which is great. And the meat is so tender juicy and tasty. But the problem is that the skin is a really hard kind of crispy, like you really have to bite hard to chew it. Yours looks like a light crispy skin vs my break your teeth crispy skin. Any idea what I might be doing wrong to cause this to happen? Thank you!
YOu can try reducing the final baking time by a few minutes. Or choose a pork belly that has a thinner layer of skin
I’m wondering if flavouring the salt is a bad idea? i want to do more of a European version on this using fennel seeds and some fresh herbs like sage, ans thyme. Would I spoil it if I mixed some ground fennel seed into the salt???
You do not want to flavor the salt for this recipe. The salt is there to draw out the moisture from the pork belly and crisp up the skin. You wouldn’t be able to taste the herbs added and adding those herbs could prevent the salt crust from doing its job. If you wish to add herbs, add it to the meat of the pork belly or in the marinade.