Asian Crispy Pork Belly

Sous vide pork belly with caramelized marinade
This sous vide pork belly is slow-cooked for 24 hours, allowing it to become incredibly tender while soaking up the rich, sweet, and savory marinade. A final blast in the oven crisps up the exterior, creating the perfect contrast between a crispy crust and melt-in-your-mouth meat. Serve with steamed rice, a fresh salad, or pickled vegetables for a balanced meal.

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 150 g cane sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
• 1 red chili, finely chopped
• 100 ml water
• A dash of rice vinegar
• A dash of fish sauce

For the pork belly

• ±2 kg pork belly
• Salt, to taste

Equipment

Sous vide stick
Vacuum sealer
Vacuum bags
Sousvide waterbowls
Oven

Preparation method

Make the marinade

• In a microwave-safe bowl, combine cane sugar, garlic, red chili, water, rice vinegar, and fish sauce. Stir well and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Alternatively, you can warm it in a pan on the stove over low heat.

Prepare the pork belly

• Fill the sousvide waterbowls with water and set the sous vide stick to 68°C.
• Generously sprinkle both sides of the pork belly with salt. Cut it into four portions so each piece fits in a vacuum bag.
• Place the pork belly pieces in a dish and coat evenly with the marinade, rubbing it into the meat. Transfer each piece to a vacuum bag, adding 2 tablespoons of marinade per bag before sealing.
• Cook sous vide for 24 hours in the preheated water bath.

Crisp the pork belly

• Preheat the oven to 250°C with the grill function on.
• Remove the pork belly from the vacuum bags and place on a grill rack. Grill in the oven, turning halfway, until the crust is golden brown and crispy.

Serve

• Enjoy with steamed rice, fresh salad, or pickled vegetables like kimchi or pickles for a perfect balance of flavors.