Glazed Pork Belly
Tender pork belly glazed in a Chinese-style sweet and salty sauce. Rich, decadent, and so flavorful.
My son found this recipe on Tasty and requested it for his 16th birthday lunch. He enjoys Asian flavors and especially loves anything with soy sauce so this recipe was right up his alley. It’s important to serve this decadent pork belly with rice which will help balance the strong flavors of the glaze. I also served this glazed pork belly with some sauteed bok choy & mushrooms and they paired nicely together. My son enjoyed his birthday lunch and so did the rest of us.
How to Make Glazed Pork Belly
Cut the pork belly into 1-inch cubes.
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, then add the pork, ginger pieces, green onion, and garlic cloves, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the water to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Discard the remaining water and vegetables and dry out the pot. Pat the pork belly as dry as possible.
Return the pork to the pot on the stovetop over high heat and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Side Note: Add a little bit of oil to the pot if the pork belly is sticking.
Add the brown sugar, then reduce heat to low. Stir constantly until the sugar has melted, caramelized, and coated the pork belly evenly.
Add the soy sauce and rice vinegar, stirring frequently for 5-6 minutes more, or until the liquid has reduced to a thick glaze. Add the remaining 2 cups of water and cook. Stir, cover, and simmer for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. The sauce should coat the pork in a very thick glaze. If it’s too runny, continue to stir, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced.
Serve immediately with a bowl of rice. Sprinkle with green onions and enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs lean pork belly
- 6 cups + 2 cups water, divided
- 8 slices of peeled ginger
- 2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup soy sauce
- 6 tbsp rice vinegar
Serve with:
- Cooked rice
- Green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Cut the pork belly into 1-inch cubes.
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, then add the pork, ginger pieces, green onion, and garlic cloves, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the water to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Discard the remaining water and vegetables and dry out the pot. Pat the pork belly as dry as possible.
- Return the pork to the pot on the stovetop over high heat and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Side Note: Add a little bit of oil to the pot if the pork belly is sticking.
- Add the brown sugar, then reduce heat to low. Stir constantly until the sugar has melted, caramelized, and coated the pork belly evenly.
- Add the soy sauce and rice vinegar, stirring frequently for 5-6 minutes more, or until the liquid has reduced to a thick glaze.
- Add the remaining 2 cups of water and cook. Stir, cover, and simmer for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. The sauce should coat the pork in a very thick glaze. If it's too runny, continue to stir, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced.
- Serve immediately with a bowl of rice. Sprinkle with green onions and enjoy.
Pork belly is my favourite part of a pig…this looks droolworthy, Pam.
Wow… a yummy dish! If I cook in the pressure cooker, how do I set the timer?
I’m sorry, I don’t have a pressure cooker so I’m not able to help you.
-Pam
Looks really good Pam but it spite of its current popularity, I’ve yet to try pork belly as anything but bacon. I may have to change that though.
Pork belly is so darn good! Love its flavor, and this looks like a wonderful way to cook it. Thanks!
I have never made pork belly. Your recipe looks delicious.
Will pork belly be specifically labeled as “lean”?
Leigh,
No, it won’t. I just asked my butcher for the leanest portion he had. I hope this helps.
-Pam
What a birthday meal! Your son has great taste.
Hey Pam!
This sounds amazing but I am going to try this with the pork shoulder because that’s what I’ve got in hand.
Would love to fill you in with how it turned out.
Anna,
I love pork shoulder so I’m curious to know how it turns out. Keep me posted.
-Pam
This is such a simple recipe, with ingredients that most of us have in the kitchen all the time. It’s incredible how these ingredients can transform pork belly into one of the most delicious things ever. Thanks for the glazed pork belly recipe, Pam!
Denisa,
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam