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    Home » Recipes » Asian-inspired recipes

    Twice cooked pork belly - with a sticky glaze

    Published: Dec 26, 2020 · Modified: Sep 14, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    A little sweet, a little salty, with a hint of chilli ... this twice-cooked pork belly with a sticky glaze makes the perfect addition to your Asian recipe repertoire. And today I'm sharing my secrets for cooking the most tender and juicy pork belly imaginable!

    A dish of twice-cooked pork belly garnished with sesame seeds and spring onions.
    Jump to:
    • The secrets to tender pork belly
    • What you will need
    • What to do
    • Storage information
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    This recipe is closely related to my sticky Asian pork recipe which is made with pork shoulder rather than pork belly.

    The secrets to tender pork belly

    Unfortunately, pork belly that is not cooked properly can be tough, chewy, very fatty, and not the most appetising of meats. This is a great pity because, in reality, pork belly is none of these things.

    Properly cooked, pork belly is juicy and tender with unctuous layers of soft fat interspersed with layers of melt-in-the-mouth meat. Add a sticky spicy glaze, serve with fluffy white rice, and you'll have a meal fit for a king.

    And today, I'm sharing my secrets to getting perfectly cooked pork belly pieces so you can enjoy it for yourself.

    Secret number 1

    The first secret is to simmer the pork rashers in lightly salted water for at least 2 hours. You can get away with an hour and a half if you are in a hurry.

    Cooking the pork slowly like this results in layers of soft, non-greasy fat, that melts into the layers of meat, turning them into succulent, flavoursome mouthfuls.

    Secret number 2

    Once the pork belly is cooked, we get onto the second secret. This is to slice the cooked belly rashers into smaller pieces and brown them in a frying pan.

    Take your time with this step. Brown the meat slowly, allowing it to turn from a pale pinky-white colour to an appetising golden brown. Remember browned meat = lots of flavour.

    Secret number 3

    The third and final secret is to coat the meat in a sticky spicy glaze, adding the third layer of flavour, and a shiny, thick, sticky coating.

    This is twice-cooked pork. The first cooking tenderises the meat and renders out the fat and the second cooking browns the meat, turning it golden and appetising. I suppose you could call secret number 3 the third cooking, but actually, all you are doing in this step is coating the twice-cooked pork with the delicious sticky glaze.

    Close up of a piece of sticky pork belly held in chopsticks.

    If you would like a similar recipe, made in an air fryer, you might like to try these air fryer pork belly bites.

    What you will need

    Equipment

    The main equipment you will need is a wok or a large frying pan, but whether you use a wok or a frying pan, make sure the pan has a lid.

    Ingredients

    **You can find the exact measurements for the ingredients on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

    To make this twice-cooked sticky pork belly you will, of course, need some pork belly rashers. Try and get nice thick meaty rashers, you don't want thin rashers that are not much thicker than bacon. The ones you are looking for are nice thick slices of pork belly, sometimes called Chinese pork belly ribs in the supermarkets.

    For the sticky glaze you will need all the usual Asian flavours -

    • soy sauce - for saltiness. I like to use dark soy sauce;
    • ginger - you can use fresh ginger if you have some, but to be honest, I find it quite a chore to peel and crush, so I keep a jar of crushed ginger in the refrigerator;
    • garlic - either fresh or from a jar;
    • chilli for a touch of heat - you can use a freshly chopped chilli or use from a jar;
    • honey and brown sugar - to provide the sweetness and stickiness;
    • lemongrass and hoisin sauce for added flavour. Once again I keep a jar of lemongrass paste in the refrigerator for convenience. You can use fresh lemongrass if you prefer;
    • vinegar - to cut through and balance the sweetness of the dish;
    • stock - I just used 2 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water;
    • you will also need olive oil for browning the meat.

    What to do

    This is a simple dish to make. However, it does take a long time because the meat is simmered in stock for 2 hours before being turned into delicious sticky glazed cubes, so make sure you allow for this step.

    To save time, boil the pork the night before and leave it in a covered dish in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the glazed pork.

    Pork belly rashers in a pan of stock.

    Place the pork belly rashers into your wok or frying pan and pour in the stock. Cover the pan with a lid and adjust the heat so that the water is barely simmering.

    Leave to simmer for two hours. You can top up with extra stock during the cooking time if necessary.

    Remove the cooked pork from the stock and allow it to cool, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.

    Cubes of pork belly browning in a frying pan.

    Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and brown the meat on all sides. Use a pair of kitchen tongs to help you turn the meat over.

    Take your time with this step, and turn the pork frequently to allow it to brown on all sides.

    You can discard the cooking liquid, or use it as stock in this recipe for leftover roast pork in garlic sauce.

    A small dish of glaze for the pork belly.

    Mix all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.

    Pork belly cubes covered with glaze in a frying pan.

    Pour the glaze onto the browned pork and continue to cook and stir until the glaze has thickened and coated the pork. This should take about 5 minutes.

    Transfer the cooked pork pieces to a serving dish. Serve immediately with noodles or white rice and your choice of vegetables. I like to serve with broccoli for a touch of greenery, and a sweet vegetable like carrots. You may also like to serve it with this vegetable lo mein or Chinese egg fried rice.

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    A dish of sticky pork belly next to a dish of rice and a dish of vegetables.

    Storage information

    You can make this dish in advance and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before serving.

    To serve, reheat in the microwave until piping hot and serve immediately. Otherwise, transfer the pork belly and sauce to a frying pan and heat thoroughly before serving.

    If you want to freeze pork belly, cook it until it has been browned and then freeze. Allow the browned pork to cool and transfer it to a suitable freezer container. You can freeze this meat for up to 2 months.

    To prepare the frozen meat, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator, and then tip the defrosted pork pieces into a large frying pan with freshly prepared glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes until the glaze is thick and sticky and coats the pork. Serve immediately.

    Do not refreeze.

    Save for later

    Why not pin this recipe for sticky belly pork to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right of the screen.

    Related recipes

    If you enjoyed this recipe for sticky pork belly, you may also enjoy some of my other Asian-inspired meals:

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    Visit my Asian recipes page for these and other Asian-inspired dishes.

    📋The recipe

    A dish of twice-cooked pork belly garnished with sesame seeds and spring onions.

    Twice-cooked pork belly with a sticky glaze

    A little sweet, a little salty, with a hint of chilli ... this twice-cooked pork belly with a sticky glaze makes the perfect addition to your Asian recipe repertoire. Serve with rice and your choice of vegetables.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course
    Chinese inspired
    Calories 905
    Prep 5 minutes minutes
    Cook 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    4.93 from 14 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Saucepan with lid
    • Frying Pan
    • Small bowl

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds / 900 grams thick pork belly rashers
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil for browning the pork.
    • 2 cups / 480 ml chicken or vegetable stock

    For the glaze

    • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
    • 1 teaspoon lemongrass paste
    • 1 tablespoon runny honey
    • 1 teaspoon crushed ginger
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes optional
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

    Instructions

    • Place the rashers of meat in a pan of stock and bring to the boil.
      2 pounds / 900 grams thick pork belly rashers, 2 cups / 480 ml chicken or vegetable stock
    • Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid, and leave to simmer for two hours. Top up with extra stock if necessary. See notes.
    • While the meat is simmering, measure all the ingredients for the glaze into a small bowl and mix well. Set aside. See notes.
      2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, 1 teaspoon lemongrass paste, 1 tablespoon runny honey, 1 teaspoon crushed ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
    • After two hours, remove the meat from the stck oand leave on a plate until it is cool enough to handle.
    • Cut the meat into 1" pieces.
    • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan then add the cut pork.
      2 tablespoons olive oil
    • Turn the heat down to medium and fry the pieces of pork, turning frequently, until they are browned on all sides. See notes.
    • Add the glaze ingredients and bring to the boil. Stir until the glaze has thickened and the pork is well coated.
    • Serve immediately with rice and your choice of vegetables.

    Notes

    Allow the pork to simmer for at least 2 hours.  Be careful not to allow the pork to boil dry.  Make sure to top up with extra water if necessary.
    Mix all the ingredients for the glaze into a small bowl.  This will make it easier to add the glaze ingredients to the pork when they are required.
    When browning the pork, make sure to get a nice even brown on all the pork pieces.
    You can freeze the pork once it has been browned - before adding the glaze.  When ready to use, let the pork defrost and then continue to follow the recipe to glaze the pork.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories - 905kcal | Carbohydrates - 12g | Protein - 69.6g | Fat - 64.6g | Saturated Fat - 30.7g | Sodium - 835mg | Potassium - 20mg | Fiber - 0.2g | Sugar - 10.8g | Calcium - 4mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.93 from 14 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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    1. David

      November 19, 2024 at 10:30 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing. It's the first time I've managed to make really tender pork bites and the flavour was excellent.
      I'm going to try the same slow cook technique on pork ribs, as I always find they're tough when I follow "their" instructions.
      Thank you for a wonderful recipe.

      Reply
      • VJ

        November 20, 2024 at 7:08 am

        5 stars
        You are very welcome. I'm so pleased you enjoyed them. Thank you for taking the time to let me know! Good luck with the pork ribs- I hope they turn out just as well for you!

        Reply
    2. Mary

      August 18, 2024 at 7:32 pm

      This looks amazing. I would like to make it for my husbands birthday and we have about 60-60 people coming. Can you tell me how to increase the glaze and make the day before for reheating the next day? Many thanks

      Reply
      • VJ

        August 19, 2024 at 4:30 pm

        I have never made this dish in the quantities to feed so many people, but here are my suggestions. I hope you find them helpful. In essence, what you are suggesting is that you want to increase the recipe 15-fold. But it's not quite as simple as that as I'm sure you realise.

      • I would first of all cut down on the amount of meat. 900 grams is fine for 4 people (with perhaps a little leftover depending on appetite) but I would scale it down for 60 people and probably allow 150 grams of meat per person. With a crowd that size you will find people with different appetites and you don't want to be left with lots of leftovers!
      • For boiling the pork rashers in stock you will need sufficient stock to just cover the rashers. I certainly wouldn't recommend using 30 cups of stock! Maybe use 2 large saucepans or stock pots, each with 6 or 7 cups of stock.
      • As far as the glaze goes, you certainly don't want to multiply the ingredients by 15. I would suggest you start with 1 cup of soy sauce and half a cup of hoisin. 1/4 cup of lemongrass and 1/4 cup of honey. Ginger has quite a powerful taste so I would add 1 tablespoon, and perhaps 8 to 10 cloves of crushed garlc, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of vinegar. As far as chilli goes, it depends on how much heat you want. The chilli is optional in any case, so just add to your own taste. That will give you about 2.5 cups of glaze which will go quite a long way towards coating the pork.
      • Taste the glaze once it has boiled to ensure that the flavours are nicely balanced.
      • As you are doing this the day before, you will have time to mix up a smaller batch of glaze if you run out.
      • Once cooked, as I stated in the post, the pork can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I would suggest for these quantities that you reheat it in 2 or 3 casserole dishes (covered in tinfoil so it doesn't dry out) in a hot oven for about 10 minutes.
      • Reply
    3. Antonella

      September 22, 2022 at 10:51 am

      Brilliant! Made the pork on rice with veggies and hubby and I were both impressed. Will definitely cook this again. Thanks!

      Reply
      • VJ

        September 22, 2022 at 12:26 pm

        5 stars
        My plesure - glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
      • Rachel Pengelly

        February 03, 2023 at 5:49 pm

        5 stars
        Wow, this dish is amazing. I couldn't find lemongrass paste or lemon grass so used lemon zest instead. Still so delicious. Cooked this when friends came round and they rated it as restaurant quality. Really, really enjoyed this. Thank you for sharing this one.

        Reply
        • VJ

          February 03, 2023 at 7:56 pm

          5 stars
          Oh thank you for your lovely comment - it makes me so happy when people enjoy my recipes!!!!!

          Reply

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