Today I am sharing a recipe for one of my favorite cuts of meat…The humble Pork Belly. Pork belly is something I enjoy making (and eating!!) so I decided to try a new technique when making it and did a Sous Vide Asian Pork Belly.
This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of FoodSaver®; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Some people have yet to embrace sous vide cooking, it took me a while. I don’t know about you but when new cooking gadgets come out, often I say to myself…I like how I do it or I can do that with what I have, however, once I decide to try the “it” out, I am like what took me so long! Haha! It was the same way with digital cameras for me and sometimes I am like that with new to me foods. Then, the next thing you know I am all about it.
Is it just me??
Here’s the thing about sous vide cooking. You end up with incredibly moist, tender proteins (meat and fish). Sure you sous vide other things like eggs, veggies, and even some desserts. However, for me, meat and certain seafood’s are what shine.
I mean, just LOOK at that sexy bite! Super-moist on the inside and everything you want it to be on the outside! Swoon!
One of the coolest gadgets on the market is a FoodSaver® FM2000 Vacuum Sealing System. When you cook sous-vide, FoodSaver® FoodSaver® Sous-vide Vacuum Seal Bags are your BFF’s! They are air-tight and don’t float up which is important when cooking sous-vide. The heat seal is perfect as well, so no worries about anything leaking after it seals.
I also really like the removable drip tray inside the FM2000. Most of the time I don’t have much (if any) of a marinade when I use it. BUT when I do, it works great! This is seriously one of the easiest small kitchen appliances you will ever use. My 100% Italian girlfriend Maria has had her food saver since it first came out a very long time ago. It still works like a champ! She swears by it for keeping her fresh bought meats and things like prepared raw meatloaf perfect in her freezer for months and months. No freezer burn. She is all about being an efficient homemaker and hates to waste food ever. She sings its praises!
Outside of sous-vide cooking, which not ever home cook does, FoodSaver® Sous-vide Vacuum Seal Bags comes in SO handy for storing meats and veggies so efficiently, you save some serious money! You can easily prolong the life of good buys at the grocery store, farmers market or wherever you shop.
Your garden bounty can live on longer in your freezer and if you are a hunter, this system will ensure your protein is a fresh and delicious on day 100 as it was on day 10. One of the uses that I am particularly excited about is being to buy meat in bulk at Costco and then vacuum sealing and freezing it for later use. The fantastic thing about Freezer burn happens when the surface of the food comes in contact with air and dries out over time. Vacuum sealing eliminates the air, so now my meats don’t get freezer burn. I save money because I’m not wasting food.
FoodSaver® Sous-vide Vacuum Seal Bags are tough! They can go from your freezer right into a hot water bath via sous vide, no problem.
Another great use for the FM2000 is in marinating meats and veggies. The vacuum sealer removes the air from the sous-vide bags, it also causes the pores of the food to open which allows the marinade to work harder, quicker due to the quick penetration. No need to have your meat marinate for hours. Give it a half-hour after you seal it and you will be good to go.
Another trick of mine to extend the life of garden or store-bought herbs for a bit longer is to quickly seal them in batches, then I use them up within a week and a half or so. FoodSaver® Sous-vide Vacuum Seal Bags
Sous-vide bags are safe for microwave, fridge, and freezer. You can purchase FoodSaver® Sous-vide Vacuum Seal Bags (as well as the FoodSaver® FM2000 Vacuum Sealing System) in-store or online at Target.
I was happy how my Sous Vide Asian Glazed Pork Belly turned out. It was so moist and flavorful. The texture was on-point. After the sous-vide, I placed the pork belly pieces in the fridge overnight. The next evening, I sliced them into chunks and pan seared them. I then made a super simple glaze and served them with some grilled scallions and rice.
I know not everyone is comfortable cooking sous vide, so if you are dying for some homemade pork belly, check out my recipe for Slow Roasted Pork Belly Bites over Jalapeno Slaw. I didn’t want to leave you hanging with no way to enjoy some delicious pork belly!
Enjoy!!
- 2-3 pounds pork belly (either one piece or two smaller ones)
- Cooking Liquid
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 2 TBS garlic paste or minced garlic
- 1 tsp ginger paste or minced ginger
- 2 TBS sesame oil
- 3 chili with garlic paste
- 1 TBS brown sugar
- Glaze
- 2 TBS brown sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 TBS sesame oil
- 2 TBS chili with garlic sauce
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- ¼ tsp cornstarch (for a stickier glaze)
- If your pork belly has actual skin on the fattier side, slice that off. You can cut your pork belly into two strips or leave it whole. Your choice. My belly actually was purchased in two strips.
- Combine all cooking liquid ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Slide your meat into a sous-vide bag. Pour in the cooking liquid.
- Use your FM2000 and vacuum seal your bag.
- Prepare your sous-vide water and circulator.
- Heat water to 170F and set the timer for 10 hours.
- Once done, allow it to cool down for an hour and then place it in your refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to enjoy, open the bag discard the marinade and pat your pork belly dry with paper towels.
- Cut your pork belly into chinks…about 1 ½ - 2-inch pieces.
- Make your glaze by combining all ingredients except the cornstarch.
- Heat your glaze in a small pot to a boil. Scoop out a TBS or two into a ramekin and add the cornstarch, mix it well and return it all to the pot, bring to a boil and then remove from heat.
- In a non-stick pan, place just a very small amount of oil (just enough to barely coat the pan. Heat the oil and add half of your chunks fattiest side down first. Allow the fat to cook and crisp up. Then add a small amount of the glaze to the pan. About a TBS or so and allow the fat to caramelize.
- Watch it, because the sugar will allow it to burn if you are not careful. Some blackened bits are delicious, just control it. Working quickly, use tongs and allow each side of the pork belly to caramelize. No side will take as long as the first fatty side.
- Repeat with the second batch (wiping the pan out and starting over is best).
- Once finished. Brush with glaze and serve.
Terri says
July 16, 2018 at 11:07 pmI love pork belly but have never made it- need to try this recipe! I’d also love a food saver- I am queen of the freezer !
Rust says
July 17, 2018 at 6:18 amThe pork belly is a dish I have wanted to try, and the Food Saver is an appliance I know I would get a lot of use out of.
Joanne Lee says
July 17, 2018 at 1:42 pmPork belly is one of my favorite foods! I usually roast them instead.
Meghan Malicoat says
July 18, 2018 at 12:00 amThe pork belly looks amazing! I think the food sealer would be awesome addition to the kitchen.
Carol ONeil says
July 18, 2018 at 1:03 amI have never made this before. It looks amazing and if I was lucky enough to have left overs I would love to have this food saver to put it in.
shannon fowler says
July 18, 2018 at 2:32 amThis sounds like it would be really delicious. The food saver would be awesome to have. it would make meal prep for the work week so much easier.
Adriana says
July 18, 2018 at 9:28 amI have never eaten pork belly. Should try this recipe.
Jeanne Coulombe says
July 18, 2018 at 9:50 amI’m not a fan of pork belly but I would love to have a food saver for my home .
bn100 says
July 18, 2018 at 11:04 amlooks tasty
Sandy Klocinski says
July 18, 2018 at 11:23 amAwesome recipe! I am a big pork belly fan. This looks fabulous. I love that you can stop the vacuum to avoid squishing the food but still seal the bag. The ones that hold rolls of bags and cut them are too big and bulky. Seems like something I could use
Brenna M says
July 18, 2018 at 2:58 pmThe pork belly looks really good, but it’s super fatty, so I try to avoid it.
The Food Saver, on the other hand, I really want one! Both for my emergency food stash, and because I do eat left overs a lot, but I’m bad about freezing them, for some reason, so I would not waste as much food.
Thank you for the chance! =)
Michele Soyer says
July 18, 2018 at 4:09 pmI would not eat the pork belly not because of the fat but because I don’t care for asian spices.. I have a very old food saver and I struggle to keep it working.. this one looks wonderful….
Angelica Dimeo says
July 18, 2018 at 4:58 pmI have never had pork belly but it sounds like it would be tasty
Darlene Carbajal says
July 18, 2018 at 6:58 pmThe pork belly looks so good and the food saver is something we need!
Christina Sparks says
July 18, 2018 at 8:22 pmDo not think I have ever tried Pork belly, but the seasoning looks good.
Barbara Montag says
July 19, 2018 at 3:31 amThe pork belly looks finger licking good!
A food saver would be so handy right now with the garden produce coming in.
It’s a great invention!
thank you
Wendy R. says
July 19, 2018 at 6:10 amI have to admit… I think Pork Belly is totally gross. Way too fatty for me, it’s a texture thing!
Misty says
July 19, 2018 at 3:06 pmI’ve never tried pork belly. The FoodSaver would be amazing to have & you could purchase in bulk to save money.
Kim Reynolds says
July 19, 2018 at 3:55 pmI’ve made many things but pork belly isn’t one of them. This looks like a good recipe to start with. The FoodSaver FM2000 is something I would love to try!
Anita Duvall says
July 19, 2018 at 5:07 pmPork happens to be my favorite meat. The Pork Belly looks and sounds so good. And I love the Food Saver.
Karen D says
July 19, 2018 at 5:16 pmI haven’t ever tried pork belly. The FoodSaver would be great, since I have a sousvide pod ($2 at my local thrift shop, and it’s a beauty!)
John Zukowski says
July 19, 2018 at 6:55 pmLooks tasty. My wife has been wanting one of these for a while.
Laura Griggs says
July 19, 2018 at 9:08 pmi haven’t had pork belly before but it sounds amazing
I think the food saver would definitely help us not to waste food.
heather says
July 19, 2018 at 9:14 pmThe pork belly looks amazing and fresh. The sealer looks like a handy thing to have in the kitchen.
Debbie Welchert says
July 19, 2018 at 10:23 pmI have never had pork belly before and would love to try it someday. It looks so darn good. I have always wanted a vacuum sealer and this one really sounds like it would be the one to get….
Cheryl Chervitz says
July 20, 2018 at 1:37 amThe pork belly sounds wonderful, and I have been wanting a food saver to keep my foods fresher.
Danielle Dooley says
July 20, 2018 at 4:46 pmI sure do love pork belly! Tempted to try cooking Sous Vide!
Doreen says
July 21, 2018 at 12:25 amI have never tried pork belly before and I don’t think I want to try it. hahaha! I’m not big on eating pork. I would love to use the Food Saver system though. That would be awesome to use with the other meats that we have!
Kamla L. says
July 21, 2018 at 12:51 amI love pork belly and your recipe looks absolutely scrumptious! I have been wanting to try the sous vide cooking technique. The FoodSaver® FM2000 would make it so much easier.
Tina W says
July 21, 2018 at 6:21 amPork Belly is like bacon’s rich, sexy, sophisticated cousin: it is soooooo good.
And I couldn’t live without my FoodSaver: I care for my elderly father and it makes cooking his preferred meals in bulk and freezing so easy, and saves my sanity not having to cook two different meals every day. (and there are several family members who would happily take my old FoodSaver model if I win a new one!)
Brandy W. says
July 21, 2018 at 2:51 pmI have a really old model food saver and I just love it. I have been looking to update. I have always just used it to package meat after I processed it. So using for cooking is an amazing idea.
Marilyn Nawara says
July 22, 2018 at 8:37 amThe Pork Belly looks delicious — not something I would typically eat, but it does look good. Amazing how much air the foodsaver removes — would be nice to have for meats and more.
Lynne B says
July 23, 2018 at 7:18 pmI have a REALLY old Foodsaver. It takes a little coaxing to get it to work. So I’d love this one! And your sous vide pork belly looks delish! My mouth is watering.
Cynthia Richardson says
July 23, 2018 at 11:43 pmWow! That looks delicious.
Erin M says
July 24, 2018 at 2:40 amI’ve never tried pork belly but it looks delicious.
Kayla klontz says
July 24, 2018 at 4:01 amTHe pork Belly looks amazing! THe food saver would be a life saver, I’d be able to buy meat and such in bulk and freeze it!
Jacob Bray says
July 24, 2018 at 8:11 amThe pork belly looks delicious! I’d love the food saver it’d help a lot n always come in handy!
donna porter says
July 24, 2018 at 8:38 amThe pork belly looks delicious and I will give this a try. I would love to have a food saver. It would keep my food fresh.
Holly Thomas says
July 24, 2018 at 10:09 amI love pork belly and this recipe is very similar to one I make.
Jose says
October 27, 2019 at 4:41 amI have made this pork belly recipe and it is my go to for steam bun pork belly marinade and sous vide!
Colleen says
November 4, 2019 at 3:38 pmFantastic! Thanks for the feedback Jose!
Tammy iler says
July 24, 2018 at 3:43 pmIt looks so good and I’m in need of a food saver!
Julie Waldron says
July 24, 2018 at 6:14 pmI think the pork belly looks delicious. We process our own meat and the food saver would be great to have.
Andrea P. says
July 24, 2018 at 6:52 pmI love pork belly! So much flavor! And I love to foodsaver because I hate when food goes bad.
Laurie Nykaza says
July 25, 2018 at 2:04 amIm making it in the oven right now. Love the way you cooked it love to try it looks amazing
Laurel McKay says
February 12, 2019 at 4:40 amSecond go around for this recipe…both times turned out awesome! Only extra step I added was to refrigerate with a cast iron pot on top. It compresses the meat slightly so that it is easier turning in the pan when you are browning with the glaze. Brava!!
Les says
December 4, 2019 at 2:27 amThanks for leaving a comment that had something to do with the recipe and not whether or not you had a food saver or liked pork belly. Very useful.
5 out of 5 star commenter! Would read comment again! Lol.
Alyssa says
March 27, 2019 at 8:59 amColleen , how it looks delicious and tasty, looking forward to the weekend to cook pork, thanks!
Colleen says
March 29, 2019 at 12:33 pmAwesome! Hope you enjoy it!
Gus says
April 8, 2019 at 11:06 pmThis looks a lot like Indonesian babi pagang. Roasted, with grilled pineapple & sweet & sour sauce, gives me visions of my former hime
Colleen says
April 14, 2019 at 11:09 pmHi Gus, I was unfamiliar with that dish, just looked it up and it sounds and looks delicious! Now I have to make it!
Kyle says
July 2, 2019 at 1:48 am“Cut your pork belly into chinks”
Might want to slap an edit on that one, Freud
Colleen says
July 9, 2019 at 11:13 pmThanks!
LMD says
July 9, 2019 at 10:56 pmThis looks awesome! What kind of chilli with garlic paste did you use? Also, did anyone finish this off on a Grill? How was it?
Christopher says
November 9, 2019 at 7:57 amI gotta say, if you’re making Asian pork belly and you’re not putting mirin in the cooking liquid, you’re just letting the best in life pass you by. Also, don’t think the slaw really needs soy sauce in the dressing since the pork belly is already basically cooked in soy sauce. Replace the 2 Tbsp soy sauce with 2 Tbsp mirin and it’s heckin’ good.
Not that it isn’t heckin’ good anyway. This seems like a great recipe.