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A close-up of sliced, juicy pork belly with crispy, golden-brown skin, arranged on a piece of parchment paper. The tender, perfectly cooked layers of meat and fat are clearly visible, with a portion of fresh greens on a plate partially seen on the right.
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4.74 from 71 votes

Oven Roasted Crispy Pork Belly

This recipe is all about replicating the Momofuku method of roasting, chilling, then pan-frying for perfectly crisp-edged slices. It works beautifully for both skin-on and skinless pork belly. I cut back on the salt and sugar a bit from Dave Chang's original recipe. Adapted from Momofuku: A Cookbook.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cast iron recipe, easy, keto, low carb
Servings: 8 people
Author: Marissa Stevens

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork belly skin on or skinless
  • 2 teaspoons fine salt or 4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • a few grinds of black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the Pork Belly

  • For Skin-On Pork Belly: Pat skin dry with a paper towel. With a sharp knife, score through skin every 1/2-inch at a diagonal, cutting through skin and into fat, but not so deep that you hit meat. Repeat cutting in an opposite diagonal to create a diamond shape pattern. (See recipe note #1)
  • For Skinless Pork Belly: Move on to the next step.

Season and Rest Overnight

  • Season pork belly with salt sugar and a few grinds of black pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Roast Low and Slow

  • 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. Our one-pound belly was done after an hour at 275°F.)

Finish and Serve

  • To Serve as Crispy Slices (Momofuku-Style): Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until chilled through – at least a few hours and up to 2 days. Once chilled, slice into thick pieces and brown in a skillet on the stovetop until crisp. Enjoy alone or in soups, salads, pasta sauces, ramen and more!
  • To Serve as a Roast (Skin-On Alternative): Remove from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing. (See recipe note #2)

Video

Notes

  1. Scoring: Scoring the pork belly skin allows it to crisp up and allows the seasoning to penetrate into the fat and meat below the skin.
  2. To Serve as a Roast: For the skin-on version, you can serve this immediately after roasting. Let the pork belly rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. This is ideal for a small roast for four.
  3. Storage: Store leftover chilled, roasted pork belly refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
  4. Serving Ideas: Be sure to check out my collection of Pork Belly Recipes for ways to use this delicious crispy pork belly!

Nutrition

Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 599mg | Potassium: 104mg | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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