Grilled Pork Belly Perfection: The Ultimate Recipe

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Pork belly, with its rich layers of fat and succulent meat, is a true delicacy when grilled to perfection. This guide provides the ultimate recipe for achieving crispy, flavorful grilled pork belly every time.

Preparing Your Pork Belly

  • Selecting the Right Cut: Choose a pork belly slab that is firm, with a good balance of meat and fat. A thickness of about 1.5 to 2 inches is ideal.
  • Scoring the Skin: Scoring the skin helps render the fat and achieve ultimate crispiness. Use a sharp knife to make shallow cuts across the skin in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat.
  • Dry Brining: Season the pork belly generously with salt and pepper at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, in the refrigerator. This process draws out moisture, resulting in a crispier skin.

The Grilling Process

Setting Up Your Grill

For the best results, use a two-zone grilling setup:

  1. Direct Heat: One side of the grill should have direct heat for searing.
  2. Indirect Heat: The other side should have indirect heat for slow cooking.

Grilling Instructions

  1. Initial Sear: Place the pork belly skin-side down on the direct heat side of the grill. Sear for about 5-7 minutes until the skin starts to crisp and brown. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
  2. Indirect Cooking: Move the pork belly to the indirect heat side of the grill. Close the lid and cook for approximately 2-3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 190-200°F (88-93°C). This allows the fat to render and the meat to become tender.
  3. Final Crisp: For the last 10-15 minutes, move the pork belly back to the direct heat side, skin-side down, to achieve maximum crispiness. Watch it closely and move it around as needed to avoid burning.

Serving Suggestions

  • Resting: Let the pork belly rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more flavorful and tender product.
  • Slicing: Use a sharp knife to slice the pork belly against the grain. This ensures each slice is tender and easy to chew.
  • Sauces and Sides: Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce, kimchi, pickled vegetables, or steamed rice for a complete meal.

Tips for Perfect Grilled Pork Belly

  • Maintain consistent temperature.
  • Use a meat thermometer.
  • Don't overcrowd the grill.
  • Experiment with wood chips.

With these tips, you're well on your way to grilling pork belly perfection. Enjoy!