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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Salt and Pepper Pork Belly

    Published: Jan 31, 2022 by Neriz · This post contains some affiliate links.

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    Jump to Recipe

    Thirty minutes! That’s all the time it takes to prepare Salt and Pepper Pork Belly. A deliciously satisfying dish with NO-FUSS seasoning!

    An overhead shot of a plate of salt and pepper pork belly, with steamed white rice on the side.

    (*This post contains some affiliate links)

    It is an excellent dish when you cannot be bothered with measuring ingredients — you can just wing them.

    A handful of ingredients, minimal seasoning, and effort, and you get a flavor-packed meat dish that you won’t be able to stop eating.

    Do you want it to be salty? Add more salt. You want it to be hot? Go crazy on the chili. 🙂

    IF YOU WANT TRADITIONAL ASIAN RECIPES, THEN YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!

    • Filipino Beef Tapa (Tapsilog)
    • Thai Ginger Chicken Stir Fry (Gai Pad King)

    Ingredients

    All the ingredients you need to cook pork belly slices with salt and pepper at home.
    • Pork belly – make sure you remove the skin when preparing for this salt and pepper pork belly recipe.
    • Garlic – minced, grated, or sliced thinly; it depends on what you prefer. The critical thing is not to burn it when cooking. 
    • Chili – red chili pepper, sliced into thin rounds. The amount you use will vary depending on how spicy the chili is.

    For reference, I used a mild chili in this recipe, and I used at least half of it for a pound of pork belly.

    • Salt and pepper – I strongly suggest using sea salt, and if you have freshly-ground black pepper, that’s even better.
    • Spring onions – although you only need this for garnish, it completes the dish’s overall flavor, so try not to skip it.
    A plate of pork belly seasoned with salt and pepper, and a bowl lof white rice in the background.

    Preparation

    Start preparing by slicing the pork into a quarter of an inch thick and about an inch wide.

    Place the wok over high heat.

    Once the wok is hot enough, add the pork belly slices — spread them around the wok (photo 1).

    First part of latest (J2022) collage of images of making pork belly with salt and pepper at home.

    Cook for about twenty minutes, mixing often.

    When the pork belly slices are almost cooked, turn down the heat to medium-high.

    Add the minced garlic (photo 2).

    Cook for about a minute or until the garlic becomes fragrant.

    Season with salt, pepper, and chili (photo 3).

    Second part of latest collage (J2022) of images showing how to make salt and pepper pork slices.

    Cook for about two minutes — keep mixing the entire time.

    Turn the heat off.

    Use a spider strainer to scoop the pork and transfer them into plates (photo 4).

    Garnish your salt and pepper belly slices with chopped spring onions and serve.

    An overhead shot of bowl of steamed white rice with salt and pepper pork belly on top.

    Helpful tips

    • Try to slice the pork into identical sizes. It helps in cooking them all at the same time and not burning some of the smaller pieces.
    • No need to use oil. As you can see, the pork belly slices, once cooked, will produce more than enough oil.
    • Make sure you keep mixing after adding the garlic and the chili — it helps ensure that they will not be burned.
    • Use a spider strainer to drain the oil from the pork quickly.  

    Alternatively, you can place the pork belly slices on some kitchen paper to remove excess oil before serving.

    A closer shot of salt and pepper pork belly, served on top of steamed white rice.

    Recipe variation

    • Chili flakes. If you cannot find any fresh ones, chili flakes or dried chili are great alternatives.

    FAQs

    Can I still prepare this if I don’t have a wok?

    Absolutely.

    A regular skillet, a frying pan, or even a Dutch oven will work out just as great. The critical thing is to pay attention to the heat.

    What do I serve with it?

    I always serve it with steamed white rice, but occasionally, it’s with garlic fried rice when I have day-old rice.

    See how easy it is? Give this easy pork belly recipe a try one of these days! 🙂

    HERE ARE MORE QUICK-TO-PREPARE ASIAN RECIPES FOR YOU TO TRY!

    • Sinangag (Filipino Garlic Fried Rice)
    • Thai Basil Pork
    An overhead shot of a plate of salt and pepper pork belly, with steamed white rice on the side.

    Salt and Pepper Pork Belly Recipe

    Thirty minutes! That's all the time it takes to prepare Salt and Pepper Pork Belly. A deliciously satisfying dish with NO-FUSS seasoning!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 792kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Kitchen Knife
    • Garlic Press
    • Wok
    • Rubber Spatula
    • Spider Strainer

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound pork belly (about 500 grams), without skin
    • 2 cloves garlic (or 1 large clove), minced
    • 1 chili, sliced into thin rounds
    • salt and ground black pepper, to season
    • spring onions, for garnish

    Instructions

    • Slice the pork into about a 1/4-inch thick, and 1-inch wide.
    • Place the wok over high heat.
    • Once the wok is hot enough, add the pork belly slices and spread them evenly on the wok.
    • Cook for about 20 minutes — mix often.
    • Adjust the heat to medium-high once the pork belly slices are almost cooked.
    • Add the minced garlic.
    • Cook for about a minute or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
    • Add the salt, pepper, and chili.
    • Cook for about 2 minutes — keep mixing the entire time.
    • Turn the heat off.
    • Use a spider strainer to scoop the pork and transfer them into plates.
    • Garnish your salt and pepper belly slices with chopped spring onions (and more sea salt, if desired) and serve.

    Notes

    • Cook’s Tip #1:  Slice the pork into identical sizes. It helps in cooking them all at the same time and not burning some of the tinier pieces.
    • Cook’s Tip #2:  Skip the oil. As you can see, the pork belly slices, once cooked, will produce more than enough oil.
    • Cook’s Tip #3:  Remember to keep mixing after adding the garlic and the chili — it helps ensure that they will be cooked properly, not burned.
    • Cook’s Tip #4:  Use a spider strainer to drain the oil from the pork quickly. Alternatively, you can place the pork belly slices on some kitchen paper to remove excess fat before serving.
    • NOTE: This post was initially published in Jan 2017. The ingredients list, recipe instructions, and new images have now been updated.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 792kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 80g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @foodandjourneys or tag #foodandjourneys!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mr Scot Lester

      January 05, 2019 at 8:22 pm

      Hi, the method says pour out oil then add onions, garlic etc, but the video shows not taking oil out and adding more?

      Reply
      • Neriz

        January 17, 2019 at 9:29 am

        Hej Scot,

        Thanks for your comment.

        Extra oil should be pour out of the pan, there should still be some left for the garlic, onions, etc.

        On the other hand, if there is rarely any oil left (like in the video), you should add a bit of it. (FULL DISCLOSURE: In the video, I had to add oil because I mistakenly pour out all of it – Ugh)

        Really appreciate you pointing it out – thank you 🙂

        Reply

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