How to Cook Pork Belly Like a Pro

Pork belly, the rich, boneless piece of meat around the midsection of a pig, has been considered a delicacy in many Asian countries for decades. Only in recent history has this cut hit its stride in the States. But now, it's a mainstay on restaurant menus and at butcher counters — and even home cooks are welcoming the cut of pork into their home and trying their hand at it for dinner parties, weeknight dinners, and more.

What Is Pork Belly?

Belly is one of four primal cuts of pork — the others are shoulder, loin, and leg — and its where bacon comes from, once cured, smoked, and sliced.

"Pork belly is an awesome cut of meat and is incredibly versatile," says Jared Wentworth, executive chef of The Dining Room and The Bar at Moody Tongue Brewing Company in Chicago, Illinois. "No other meat can be used in as many ways applications as the belly of a pig."

The decadent fat to meat ratio of pork belly means it tastes luxurious, but can be somewhat intimidating to prepare since it's so different in consistency than a tenderloin or chicken breast.

"Pork belly has a unique umami element to it, and if cooked correctly, it almost melts in your mouth. It blends well with an array of other flavors or can hold its own as the star ingredient of a dish," says Cesar Herrera, chef instructor at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in McHenry, Illinois.

So how do you achieve those mouthwatering results? Go whole-hog with these three chef-approved strategies to cook pork belly to perfection.

How to Cook Pork Belly

Slow Roast

"You want to slowly cook the pork belly [just like Chef John's Caramel Pork Belly] so it gets very tender and the fat has time to render to baste the meat as it cooks," Herrera says. "This is a tough muscle so it needs a longer cooking time at low heat to breakdown the tough tissue." To slow roast pork belly:

Braise

Again, low and slow for the win. Here's how to braise pork belly:

"When finished, the belly can be enjoyed over rice or in your favorite ramen recipe," Wentworth says.

Confit

Wentworth claims that this is likely his favorite way to cook this cut since the results are so succulent. "Once you finish and cool the confit pork belly, the meat is very succulent and you can do almost anything with it. Sauté small diced pieces, grill strips … the sky's the limit," he says.

To confit pork belly:

Chef Tips for Cooking Pork Belly

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• How to Make Cracklins
• Watch Chef John Make Caramel Pork Belly

We're serving up and celebrating the biggest home-cooking trends from the most enthusiastic cooks we know: our community. We crunched the data from 1.2 billion annual Allrecipes.com visits and 2.5 billion annual page views. Then we dug even further, surveying Allrecipes cooks about what's in their carts and fridges, on their stovetops and tables, and on their minds. Pork belly is just one of the topics they're most curious about. See more of the "State of Home Cooking" special report.