Get ready for a mouthwatering experience with our Honey Soy Asian Glazed Pork Belly recipe. We'll show you how to turn pork belly into a perfect blend of sweet and savory. The soy sauce and sticky sweet glaze make it irresistibly delicious.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Sweet and Savory: The honey-soy glaze perfectly balances the rich flavors of the pork belly.
- Effortless Cooking: With just three steps, this honey glazed Pork Belly dish is surprisingly easy to prepare.
- Restaurant Quality: Create a gourmet, restaurant-worthy dish right in your own kitchen.
📋 Ingredients
- Pork Belly Slab with Skin Attached: Is flavorful with tender meat and fat layers that become succulent when cooked, and crispy skin.
- Chinese 5 Spice Powder: This spice blend combines sweet, savory, bitter, and sour flavors, characteristic of Asian cuisine.
- Soy Sauce: Lends a deep, savory, umami flavor to the dish, balancing the sweetness of the honey.
- Sugar-Free Honey: Adds a sweet, floral note to the dish, complementing the salty soy sauce and aromatic Chinese 5 spice powder.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Its tangy flavor balances the richness of the pork belly, offering a refreshing contrast that keeps the dish light.
- Ground White Pepper: White pepper, milder than black pepper, subtly enhances flavors without overpowering them.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
- Sliced Green Onions: Present your honey-glazed pork belly topped with sliced green onions for a delightful finishing touch.
- Chinese Cooking Wine: Is optional in honey soy glazed pork belly recipes to enhance flavor but can be omitted based on preference or availability.
- Brown Sugar: Replace honey with equal parts of brown sugar to achieve a similar depth of sweetness and caramelization in your Asian Honey Glazed Pork Belly recipe. This substitution adds a rich molasses flavor, enhancing the dish's overall taste profile.
🔪How To Make Honey Soy Asian Glazed Pork Belly
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Score the fat of the pork belly with a knife, and place it fat side up in a casserole dish. Rub the Chinese 5-spice powder evenly on both sides of the pork belly.
- Step 2: In a bowl, thoroughly mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and white pepper.
- Step 3: Pour the mixture over the pork belly, and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 ½ hours because slow-cooked pork belly becomes super tender!
- Step 4: Uncover, baste with the liquid, and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour until crispy. You can add some beef or chicken broth to the bottom of the casserole dish if the liquid starts to disappear. Once cooked, your pork belly is ready to serve.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Glaze: For a deeper flavor, marinate the pork belly in the soy and honey sticky glaze overnight to allow the meat to absorb all the savory and sweet nuances.
- Reduce Salt: Choose low-sodium soy sauce to control saltiness, letting you adjust seasoning without overshadowing other ingredients.
- Dark Soy: For a rich, caramelized flavor in honey soy glazed pork belly, opt for dark soy sauce over light soy sauce. Both soy sauces add depth, but dark soy sauce enhances the dish's color and sweetness.
💭 FAQs
Yes if you'd like to use pork shoulder instead of pork belly, it will taste just as good with this glaze. You might also want to try adding some fresh ginger or garlic powder to your pork shoulder to get a more intense flavor.
Transfer the pork belly to an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Consume within 3-4 days for optimal freshness. For longer storage, freeze the pork belly. Wrap it securely in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Label with the freezing date and store for up to 2-3 months.
While recipes often recommend using skinless pork belly for a tender texture and to allow the glaze to adhere better, you can use pork belly with the skin on if you prefer. However, be aware that the skin may not become fully tender during the cooking process, and achieving a crispy texture might require additional steps, such as scoring the skin and applying high heat at the end of cooking.
To add heat to your Honey Soy Glazed Pork Belly, consider incorporating ingredients like sriracha sauce, chili flakes, or fresh chopped chilies into the glaze. Adjust the quantity to suit your spice tolerance, adding a little at a time and tasting as you go to achieve the desired level of spiciness.
Marinating the pork belly allows the flavors to penetrate the meat, enhancing the overall taste of the dish. While it's not strictly necessary, marinating for at least 30 minutes to a few hours is recommended for optimal flavor. For convenience, some recipes suggest marinating overnight.
Yes, you can prepare Honey Soy Glazed Pork Belly using alternative cooking methods such as oven roasting or stovetop pan-frying. For oven roasting, cook the marinated pork belly at a high temperature to achieve a crispy exterior. If pan-frying, ensure to render the fat properly and cook until the pieces are caramelized and tender.
Serving Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Asian Pork Belly:
- White Rice: This is a great option if you want a simple and easy side dish.
- Steamed Vegetables: Try veggies with your pork belly.
- Macaroni Salad: This is a great option that goes well with the pork belly.
- Pancetta Pasta: Try pairing your pork dish with pasta for a great side dish!
🍜 Related Recipes
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Honey Soy Asian Glazed Pork Belly
- This Honey Soy Asian Glazed Pork Belly is a yummy, sweet, and salty dish with crispy edges that everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lb. Pork Belly
- 2 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice Powder
- 3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. Sugar Free Honey
- 3 Tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
- ¼ tsp. Ground White Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Score the fat of the pork belly with a knife, and place it fat side up in a casserole dish.
- Rub the Chinese 5 spice powder evenly on both sides of the pork belly.
- In a bowl, thoroughly mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and white pepper.
- Pour the mixture over the pork belly, and cover it with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 2 ½ hours because slow cooked pork belly becomes super tender!
- Uncover, baste with the liquid, and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour until crispy.
- You can add some beef or chicken broth to the bottom of the casserole dish if the liquid starts to disappear.
- During the final stages of cooking pork belly, remember to baste it regularly.
Notes
Nutrition
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