Sticky Sesame Pork Belly Recipe - Tasting With Tina (2024)

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Sticky sesame pork belly is a delicious treat for the whole family! With everything done in under an hour, this dish is perfect for a weeknight or a hit for serving a crowd.

I always order pork belly at restaurants, but I had never tried making at home. Now that I have, I'm hooked, and you should be too!

I buy my pork belly at Costco - they always have it in stock and they have great prices on it.

How to Make Sticky Sesame Pork Belly

Pork belly may seem intimidating to cook, but I promise it's easier than you think. You'll start by cutting your pork belly in 1 inch pieces.

Then, you'll boil in chicken stock with ginger, garlic, salt and pepper for 30 minutes, or until the pork belly is cooked.

Boiling the pork belly helps render the fat and will allow you to more easily crisp the pork belly once you cook it with the glaze.

After the pork belly is boiled, you'll let it cool, and then add to a nonstick skillet. You shouldn't need any oil for this step, as the fat from the pork belly will start to render.

Cook the pork belly for about 10 minutes, or until it's golden brown.

Once it starts to crisp, add in the glaze and cook over low heat. The glaze will adhere to the pork belly and help it crisp up for the last few minutes of cooking.

This sesame pork belly is best topped with sesame seeds and scallions.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about pork belly:

What's the difference between pork belly and bacon?

Pork belly is uncured bacon. It is not processed, so it offers more freedom for flavoring and has a better fat to meat ratio than bacon does.

Where can you buy pork belly?

Many grocery stores carry pork belly. It's always a good idea to call the meat department of your local grocery store and see if they have it in stock or can order some for you.

What goes well with pork belly?

You can eat pork belly with anything! A few ideas include serving it over rice, in tacos, or in a salad.

Sticky Sesame Pork Belly Recipe - Tasting With Tina (1)

What to serve with this dish

Sticky sesame pork belly has so many incredible possibilities! Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve:

  1. Serve pork belly over a big bed of warm, short grain white rice
  2. Put in tacos and top with microgreens
  3. Tossed in a big leafy salad with a sesame oil based dressing
  4. Add to chili oil noodles

A final option - just serve on a plate as an appetizer. No matter how you serve, this dish is so delicious!

Sticky Sesame Pork Belly Recipe - Tasting With Tina (2)

Kitchen supplies for this recipe

Here are some kitchen staples I recommend for cooking this recipe:

Nonstick Skillet - A good non-stick skillet is a must for this recipe. Although you can crisp the pork belly in a regular pan, I recommend a non-stick skillet to significantly reduce your clean up time! Check out this one on a Amazon.

Sesame Seeds - Sesame seeds are the perfect topping to this dish. If you can't find them at your local grocery store, check out these that you can buy on Amazon!

Sesame Oil - If you can't find sesame seeds at your local Asian grocery store, you can grab it on Amazon. It gives this dish it's delicious sesame flavor! I've used this brand before and it's great!

Sticky Sesame Pork Belly Recipe - Tasting With Tina (3)

More Easy Recipes

Looking for more easy dinner recipes? Check out these for weeknight dinner inspiration!

Salmon and Crispy Rice with Cilantro Lime Salsa - I love this recipe. It's easy, flavorful, and perfect for a fresh and healthy meal on a weeknight!

Lemon Ricotta Pasta - This super simple pasta recipe is a great flavor base for grilled shrimp, chicken, or vegetables. It's a great easy dinner any night of the week!

Pan Seared Salmon with Chimichurri Sauce - This easy salmon recipe is a weeknight winner! Ready in 15 minutes, your family will love this restaurant quality dish.

Sticky Sesame Pork Belly Recipe - Tasting With Tina (4)

Sticky Sesame Pork Belly Ingredients:

  • Pork Ingredients
    • 2 lb pork belly, sliced in 1in pieces
    • 4 cups chicken broth/stock
    • 2 in piece ginger, diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • salt and pepper, to taste
  • Glaze Ingredients
    • 2 tbsp brown sugar
    • 2 tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 tbsp sesame oil
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • sesame seeds and scallions, for topping

Directions:

  1. Add pork belly, stock, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper to a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring heat low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until pork is cooked through.
  2. Remove cooked pork belly from pot and cool on a plate.
  3. Stir brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic together and set aside.
  4. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add cooked pork belly and cook for 10 minutes, or until the pork belly starts to turn golden brown.
  5. Add glaze over pork belly and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes on low, then top with sesame seeds and scallions.

Sticky Sesame Pork Belly Recipe - Tasting With Tina (5)

Sticky Sesame Pork Belly

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Cuisine Asian

Servings 10 servings

Calories 550.51 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lb pork belly sliced in 1in pieces
  • 4 cups chicken broth/stock
  • 2 in piece ginger diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • sesame seeds and scallions for topping

Instructions

  • Add pork belly, stock, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper to a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring heat low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until pork is cooked through.

  • Remove cooked pork belly from pot and cool on a plate.

  • Stir brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic together and set aside.

  • Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add cooked pork belly and cook for 10 minutes, or until the pork belly starts to turn golden brown.

  • Add glaze over pork belly and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes on low, then top with sesame seeds and scallions.

Sticky Sesame Pork Belly Recipe - Tasting With Tina (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook pork belly so it's not tough? ›

Preheat oven to 450°F. Roast pork belly for 30 minutes on the middle rack in a heavy, oven-safe pan or skillet, skin side up / fat side up. Reduce heat to 275°F and roast for an hour or more, until tender but not mushy. (Larger pieces of pork belly will take longer.

What makes pork belly good? ›

Pork belly has a rich, savory flavor with a slightly sweet and slightly salty taste. It has a high-fat content, which gives it a rich, succulent flavor when it is cooked.

How come my pork belly is tough? ›

A: The pork belly may be tough if the slices are cut too thick, resulting in insufficient cooking time to tenderize the meat. Alternatively, the pork may have been overcooked, causing it to become tough.

How long does uncooked pork belly last in the fridge? ›

Take pork home immediately and refrigerate it at 40 °F (4.4 °C); use within 3 to 5 days or freeze (0 °F / -17.8 °C or less). For fully cooked take-out pork dishes such as Chinese food or barbecued ribs, be sure they are hot at pick-up.

How to make pork extremely tender? ›

How do you make pork soft and tender? Soak your pork in a salt-based brine before cooking it using your desired method. Pork chops need to soak between 12–24 hours, an entire pork tenderloin needs to soak for 6–12 hours, and an entire pork loin requires 2–4 days of soaking.

Does pork belly get softer the longer you cook it? ›

This is a tough muscle, so it needs a longer cooking time at low heat to breakdown the tough tissue." So, to serve up good roast pork, budget for at least 3-4 hours in the kitchen. If done correctly, a piece of roast pork should be so tender you can pierce its flesh with a fork.

Can you overcook a pork belly? ›

Can you overcook smoked pork belly? You can overcook anything. If smoked at too high of a temperature or for too long, then the meat will become tough and rubbery. Remove the meat from the heat once it reaches 190-195°F to prevent overcooking, plus don't add too many wood chips and overdo the amount of smoke.

What makes pork taste better? ›

You wouldn't necessarily just season pork with cumin, but mixing it with other seasonings like ginger and lime can enhance the flavour significantly. We'd recommend using ground cumin in recipes like our Pork Kebabs Marinated In Orange & Cumin, where the cumin can bring out the citrus and pork flavours well.

How long does it take for pork belly to be tender? ›

Roast in a slow oven for 2 1/2 hours at 140°C/285°F so the flesh becomes tender; Level the pork so the skin is level (ie. as horizontal as possible) by propping up the belly with balls of foil beneath. This makes the crackling cook evenly = perfect crackling.

How do you know when pork belly is done? ›

The pork will be ready when the juices run clear and the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife. If the skin hasn't crisped up, try putting the joint under a hot grill for a few minutes – but remember to keep an eye on it to avoid burning.

Why won't my pork belly get crispy? ›

The skin wasn't dry enough. Make sure to pat the pork completely dry before rubbing in the salt and oil as excess moisture will stop it from crisping up. It's important to score the skin if you want it really crisp. You'll need a sharp knife for this, or ask your butcher to do it for you.

Is pork belly unhealthy? ›

Yes, pork belly can be part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation and balanced with other nutritious foods. Is pork belly high in cholesterol? Pork belly does contain cholesterol, but dietary cholesterol has less impact on blood cholesterol levels than previously believed. However, moderation is still key.

Can I eat pork 7 days after the sell-by date? ›

Sell by – This creates an easy date for the retailer to know when the product has to be removed from their shelf and disposed of instead of being sold. In general, consumers have one to three days to use that meat product if it is fresh before there would be concern from a safety standpoint.

Can I eat pork after 5 days in the fridge? ›

USDA recommends using cooked pork within three to four days, kept refrigerated (40 °F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within three to four days.

How to soften pork belly? ›

In a shallow pan add two inches of water and bring to boil. Poach the pork belly skin face down in the boiling water for 4 minutes, without turning it over. After 4 minutes, the skin will soften and curl up a little. Remove the pork belly from the hot water and dry with a paper towel.

How to make tough cooked pork tender? ›

Slicing and Heating: One of the easiest ways is to slice the pork thinly and then reheat it slowly on a low setting, ideally in some kind of sauce or broth. This introduces some extra moisture and can help to tenderize the meat.

What are three ways that pork belly can be cooked? ›

The videos below from the guys over at ChefSteps shows you how to cook pork belly using three different methods: braising in the oven, pressure cooking (with a nice sear to finish it off), and of course, this being ChefSteps, sous vide.

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