MOMOFUKU PORK BELLY

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Momofuku Pork Belly. A super easy and straightforward recipe that requires very little work and gives you the most delicious pork belly ever. 

We had this for the first time when my friend, Jane, made some for us while we were visiting her last summer. This recipe is so incredibly easy to make. Pro tip: if you can: buy skinless pork belly. If not, you’ll have to remove the skin like I did. It’s not hard to remove but I didn’t do a very pretty job. The pork belly was still super delicious so either way, it will all be ok and the pork will be tasty!

MOMOFUKU PORK BELLY

From what I can find, there are two recipes online that say they are the Momofuku Pork Belly recipe. This one and this one.

The first one says they got the recipe from the actual chef in the kitchen at Momofuku. Glebekitchen.com says to: Skin the pork belly, do a 12-hour cure of salt, sugar and pepper, and bake at 290 F to an internal temperature of 190F. 

From the Momofuku Cookbook by David Chang

The next recipe, which I adapted, says it’s from the Momofuku Cookbook by David Chang. It says to heat the oven to 450F, fat side up, and cook for 1 hour, basting it with the rendered fat at the halfway point, until it’s an appetizing golden brown. And then you turn the oven temperature down to 250F and cook for another 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the belly is tender. 

A lot of the comments say you’ll end up “burning the crap out of your pork and pan.” Check out my recipe below and I hope you try this!

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Momofuku Pork Belly

This is an adaptation from the epicurious.com recipe, which is supposed to be from the Momofuku Cookbook by David Chang
Prep Time20 hours
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time21 hours 15 minutes
Course: Appetizers or Main
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: momofuku, momofuku pork belly, pork belly
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 lbs.) slab skinless pork belly
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt  try to use the diamond crystal brand
  • 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon black pepper + more if desired

Instructions

  • Nestle the pork belly in a roasting pan or dish.  Sprinkle/coat the pork belly liberally with the salt, sugar and black pepper. Alternatively, you can also mix together the salt, sugar and black pepper in a small bowl and rub the mix all over the pork. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in fridge for at least 6 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
  • Preheat your oven to 450F. Discard any liquid that accumulated in the baking dish. Place the pork belly in the oven, fat side up, and cook for 35 minutes. Next, turn the oven temperature down to 250F and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until the belly is tender - "it shouldn't be falling apart, but it should have a down pillow-like yield to firm finger poke." Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the belly to a cutting board. Allow the belly to cool slightly. Slice and enjoy!*

Notes

*From epicurious.com:
If you want the neat, clean slices, do this: "When it is cool enough to handle, wrap the belly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put in fridge until it's thoroughly chilled and firm. (You can skip this step if you are pressed for time, but the only way to get neat, nice-looking slices is to chill the belly thoroughly before slicing it.) Cut the pork belly into 1/2-inch thick slices that are about 2 inches long. Warm them for serving in a pan over medium heat, just for a minute or two, until jiggly soft and heated through.

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