Pork belly as a centrepiece is fantastic, but it usually takes some work to get it to that point. It often takes brining, salting, or curing, followed by a lengthy cooking process by smoking, brining, or BBQing. However, here I will outline my simple sous vide pork belly recipe…
This simple base recipe uses a sous vide machine (I use the Anova Precision Cooker) to get a tender, succulent pork belly ready to be used in other recipes, such as Pork Belly With Brussels Sprouts and Almonds.
Feel free to season the pork with other flavourings for the long sous vide cook. The slate is blank, but there is a lot you can do with this one.
Sous Vide Pork Belly Recipe
Equipment
- Vacuum Package Bags
Ingredients
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 100 grams Cooking oil
- 500 grams Pork belly
Method
- Liberally season the pork with salt and pepper.
- Heat the saute pan over high heat. Add the oil.
- When the oil just begins to smoke, place the pork in the pan. Caramelize all sides until dark brown.
- Let the pork cool completely.
- Vacuum seal the pork in a bag and place in a 70-degree sous vide water bath.
- Cook for 24 hours or until the pork is very tender when squeezed.
- Recipes like this are great to make well ahead of time and keep in the freezer until needed.
Using Sous Vide to Cook Pork Belly
Pork belly as an ingredient has a rich and varied history across different cultures. In many Asian cuisines, pork belly has been a staple ingredient for centuries, prized for its flavour and texture. The technique of sous vide cooking, which involves slow-cooking the meat in a precisely controlled water bath, is a relatively modern culinary innovation developed in the mid-20th century to improve the consistency and quality of cooked dishes. Combining traditional ingredients with modern cooking techniques reflects a fusion of culinary histories and innovations.
