This braised pork belly was inspired by my grandmother’s recipe of braised pork knuckle. The pork is succulently tender and bursting with juices rich in Thai aromatics. This dish is very easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
This cut is one of my absolute guilty pleasures. That alternating layers of fat and meat are just so divine. The texture of the fatty cut is supercharged with umami from the soy and braising liquid. I also find that the lemongrass aroma cuts through the fatty cut brilliantly.
How to get the maximum tenderness without the meat falling apart
It’s no secret that to get the most tender pieces of pork belly is braising it low and sloowwww. But to get that tenderness we are after, sometimes the pieces start falling apart after couple of hours and we don’t want that.
The secret behind the beautiful pieces of braised pork belly is searing the meat off in the pan first. With only just a couple of minutes on each side, this will guarantee that you can braise the cut for longer without them falling apart. Which means beautifully more tender, and we love that!
Braised pork belly perfect accompaniment
I like to serve this dish with steamy hot Jasmine rice but egg noodles are also a brilliant idea. I also highly recommend giving your rice a generous dousing of the braising liquid for maximum pleasure.
To cut through the luxurious mouthfeel, I very often pair it with pickled radish or a garlic and chilli vinaigrette. Both are very easy to make. You will find this same vinaigrette with the braised pork knuckle dish (ข้าวขาหมู) in Thailand.
Do we need to marinate it before cooking?
My answer would be that it’s not necessary. Because we will be cooking it very slowly on low heat, the cut will be sitting in the braising liquid for a very long time anyways. So this will allow the pork to fully absorb all that flavour.
Although if you are short on time, you can marinate them in advance. Then leave it overnight in the fridge. This will allow you to cook it for less amount of time but it will still be as flavourful. The downside would be that the pork might not be as tender.
Lemongrass Braised Pork Belly
Equipment
- Mortar & Pestle
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 stalk lemongrass chopped
- 10 stems coriander chopped
- 1 pinch salt
- 500 g pork belly joint cut into 2cm thick
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rock sugar
- 3 dried chilies optional
- 500 mL water or enough to cover the meat, this will depend on the size of your pot
Instructions
- Using the pestle and mortar, pound the garlic, pepper, lemongrass, coriander and salt. Set aside once done.
- Sear off the pork belly in a medium heat pan. This will ensure the pieces hold together nicely even after they have been braised. When they start to brown remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, with the remaining oil from the pork, add the ingredients we just pounded. Fry for about 1 minute to release the aromas. Then add Shaoxing rice wine to deglace the pan.
- After most of the alcohol had evaporated, add back the pork belly pieces and the rest of the seasoning. Then add the water.
- Bring it back to boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cook on low heat for 3 hours. The pork belly pieces will be soft and tender but should still hold together very well.
Did you make this recipe? Follow and tag me on @eatwithfish_. I look forward to seeing your creations. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter and email updates for the latest recipes.
Great recipe!