Pork Belly Bites
While brainstorming on party appetizers recently, Jeff and I thought back to the Pork Belly Bao recipe that we posted last September. Bao has all the elements that I love in a quick bite - flavorful and crispy protein, a bit of heat, and a bit of sweet. So we decided to toss them onto a toothpick and serve them up that way instead - they were a huge hit at our holiday party! The components of this appetizer can all be made at least a day in advance - with just some final searing and assembly the day of your event.
This recipe is almost identical to the Pork Belly Bao recipe, with only the searing and assembly being different. If you don’t need 40-50 pieces, feel free to make yourself some bao the evening before your party for dinner, and use the leftovers to make this appetizer.
Yield: about 40-50 pieces
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Ingredients
Toothpicks or mini wooden appetizer forks
For the Pork Belly
1 3 lb. slab skinless pork belly*
1 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup water
3-4 inch hunk of fresh ginger, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bunch green onions (white and light green parts only)
Aluminum Foil
Dutch Oven
Blender
For the Pickles:
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced on a mandoline
2-3 Fresno chiles, thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 cup rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons chile garlic sauce (such as Huy Fong Chile Garlic Sauce)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
Score and Marinate the Pork Belly
Place the pork belly on your cutting board with the fat cap facing up. Use a long, sharp knife to cut through the fat (only cutting through the fat, and not into the meat) on a diagonal in one direction, and then repeat in the opposite direction, creating a diamond pattern (see photo below).
Combine the soy sauce, mirin, water, ginger, garlic, and green onion in a blender. Blend on high until the mixture is fully pureed and smooth. Place the scored pork belly in a zip-top bag and pour the marinade in. Marinate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Slow Roast the Pork Belly
Preheat your oven to 300°F.
When roasting the pork belly, you’ll want to lift the pork up from the bottom of the dutch oven so that it doesn’t get overcooked or burnt. If you don’t have a rack that fits inside your dutch oven, get creative with some foil. We usually just crunch up a length of foil like a snake and coil it in the bottom of the pot - just enough to make sure that the pork isn’t in direct contact with the pot. You can also use a roasting pan or other pot, but the higher sides do help contain any splatter from the pork belly.
With your dutch oven prepared, remove the pork belly from the marinade and place directly on the foil. Roast in the oven for about 2-2.5 hours, until the scored fat surface looks nice and browned and a good amount of fat is rendered from the meat.
Increase the oven to 425°F. Roast the pork belly for another 10-20 minutes to obtain a very crispy top surface. Keep an eye on it during this step to make sure the pork doesn’t begin to burn.
Remove the pot from the oven and allow the pork belly to rest for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Make ahead: You can roast the pork belly a day in advance. Just remove it from the pot after roasting, wrap tightly with foil and stash in the fridge.
Make the Pickles
While the pork belly is roasting or resting, make the pickles for the sandwiches. Place the sliced cucumbers and Fresno chiles in a large heat-resistant dish. I like to combine these in one dish so that the heat from the Fresno chiles blends with the brine to lend a light spice to the cucumbers. You can keep them in separate containers though, if you’d like.
Make the brine by combining the rice wine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables.
Place a sheet of paper towel over the top of the vegetables to make sure they remain fully immersed in the brine.
Place the container in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the vegetables to lightly pickle and cool down.
Make ahead: The pickles can be made a day in advance, just cover the container and stash in the fridge (leave the paper towel in place for at least the first 30 minutes).
Prepare and Assemble the Appetizer
Slice and sear the pork belly
As the pork belly cools, it will become easier to slice (this is where making it a day ahead of time will certainly lend in your favor). Cut the pork belly into thirds, lengthwise (each section being about 1 1/4” in width and the full length of the pork belly). Cross cut each section into about 1/4” slices (you’ll end up with a bunch of 1/4” thick squares, essentially). Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and set a cooling rack on a baking sheet with paper towel. Cooking in batches, brown the slices of pork belly (just a minute or two per side to get a nice light brown color). Set the seared pork bell pieces aside on the cooling rack.
Make the sauce
In a small saucepan, combine the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, chile garlic sauce, and optional sesame oil (we really enjoyed the flavor of sesame with the sauce). Whisk the mixture over medium heat, until it just comes together. Taste and adjust with additional soy sauce or chile garlic sauce if needed.
Make ahead: The sauce can be made a day or two in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring up to room temperature before assembly.
Assembly
Take a piece of the seared pork belly and top with a drizzle of the sauce. Add a piece or two of pickled cucumbers and a Fresno chile. Skewer with a toothpick or mini appetizer fork.
Notes
*We usually buy about 10 lb. slabs of skinless pork belly from Costco. Around the St. Louis, MO area, they run just shy of $3/lb. Cut the large slab into three even pieces and freeze the extra slabs for a later use.
