Slow-cooked Sticky Pork Belly
Servings: 6
Calories: 1010kcal
This decadently delicious Slow-cooked Sticky Pork Belly is made with simple ingredients in just one pan. It’s the perfect comforting family-friendly dish and also ideal for easy entertaining.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg pork belly, cut into 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ inch) cubes (you can use up to 1.5 kg/3 lb 5 oz of pork belly for this recipe)
- 1 whole garlic bulb, peeled and roughly chopped (see note 1)
- 3 red onions, diced roughly (brown onions are fine too) (see note 1)
- 1 thumb-sized knob of ginger, sliced and cut into thin matchsticks (see note 1)
- 115 g brown sugar
- 125 ml tamari or all-purpose soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice
- 2 star anise
- 500 ml water
TO SERVE
- Sliced long red chilli (optional)
- Steamed rice and greens
Instructions
- Start cooking the pork belly – Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat and cook the pork belly in batches for 5–8 minutes until browned and golden. Set aside. (See note 2 for instructions on cooking in a slow-cooker or pressure cooker.)
- Add the veggies and sauces – Add the garlic, onion and ginger to the same pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened and fragrant.
- Add the brown sugar, tamari (or all-purpose soy sauce), Chinese five-spice, star anise and water. Return the pork to the pan.
- Finish cooking the pork – Bring to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, place the lid on and cook for 2 hours. Check halfway through and add ½ cup (125 ml) of water if the sauce is sticking to the base of the pan. The sauce will be thin but will caramelise in the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
- Once cooked, the pork should easily break apart with a fork. If not, cook in 15-minute intervals until soft, adding an extra ¼ cup (60 ml) of water as needed.
- Once the pork is soft, remove the lid and turn the heat to high for 5–10 minutes to let the sauce thicken. It is ready when the sauce is sticky and coats the pork.
- Serve – Garnish with the sliced chilli (if using) and serve with steamed rice and greens.
Notes
Note 1 – Don’t worry about cutting the ingredients too finely; they will break down in the delicious, sticky sauce.
Note 2 – To cook in a slow-cooker or pressure cooker:
Slow-cooker: Brown the pork as per step 1, then transfer the meat to a slow-cooker. Saute the veggies and sauces as per steps 2 and 3, but only add 1 cup (250 ml) of water. Add them to the pot and cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3½–4 hours, until the pork is soft. To thicken and reduce the sauce, pour the liquid into a wide pan on the stovetop and simmer for 10–15 minutes until sticky and glossy. Toss the pork in the sauce to coat.
Pressure cooker (instant pot): First sear the pork belly in batches on Sauté (High). Remove from the pot. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in the fat left in the pot for 2–3 minutes. Add the sugar, tamari, five-spice and star anise but only add 1 cup (250 ml) of water. Return the pork to the pot and cook on High pressure for 30 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes, then Quick Release. Next, and importantly, you need to reduce the sauce. Cook on Sauté (High), with the lid off, for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until glossy and sticky.
Why we MUST reduce afterwards if using a slow-cooker or pressure cooker: Slow-cookers and pressure cookers keep all the moisture in. The flavours stay diluted until the water evaporates. The final 10 minutes of high heat reduction is what creates: gloss, stickiness, caramelisation and that restaurant-style finish. No reduction = pork stew, not sticky pork belly.
Make Ahead
Pork – Cut the pork into pieces as per the recipe and refrigerate in an airtight container up until its expiry date. Garlic, onion and ginger – Prepare these ingredients as per the recipe and refrigerate (separate from the meat) in an airtight container for up to 24 hours prior to cooking.Leftovers
Refrigerate cooked leftovers for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months, ensuring the pork is well covered in the sticky broth to prevent freezer burn. Best thawed completely overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium–low heat with a splash of boiling water to help loosen the sauce.Nutrition Facts
Slow-cooked Sticky Pork Belly
Amount per Serving
Calories
1010
% Daily Value*
Fat
92
g
142
%
Saturated Fat
33
g
206
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
10
g
Monounsaturated Fat
44
g
Cholesterol
120
mg
40
%
Sodium
1207
mg
52
%
Potassium
496
mg
14
%
Carbohydrates
27
g
9
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
21
g
23
%
Protein
19
g
38
%
Vitamin A
21
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
59
mg
6
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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