Steamed pork belly is a delicious, flavorful dish that results in incredibly moist, tender meat with crispy, caramelized skin. But getting the steaming time just right is key to pork belly perfection. Understeam it, and the meat will be tough and chewy. Oversteam it, and you’ll end up with mushy meat and soft skin. So how long should you steam pork belly? Read on for tips on ensuring your pork belly turns out perfect, juicy, and tender every time.
What Is Pork Belly?
Pork belly comes from the underside of a pig and is the fattiest cut of pork. It consists of a generous layer of rendered fat sandwiched between the pork belly meat and the skin. When steamed the fat melts into the meat, keeping it incredibly moist and infusing it with rich porky flavor. The skin crisps up for a delicious textural contrast.
How To Prepare Pork Belly For Steaming
To prepare pork belly for steaming:
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Trim off any excess hard fat from the meat side of the pork belly Leave about 1⁄4 inch of fat intact
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Using a sharp knife, score the skin side of the pork belly in a crosshatch or diamond pattern. This allows the fat to render and the skin to get crispy. Make sure to cut through the skin and just slightly into the fat layer. Scoring should be about 1⁄2 inch apart.
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Generously season both sides of the pork belly with salt, pepper, five spice powder, garlic powder, and any other seasoning you desire. Rub it in well so it adheres.
How Long To Steam Pork Belly
The steaming time for pork belly depends on the thickness of the cut. Here are general guidelines:
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1 inch thick pork belly: Steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour
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1 1⁄2 inch thick pork belly: Steam for 1 to 1 1⁄4 hours
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2 inches thick pork belly: Steam for 1 1⁄4 to 1 1⁄2 hours
For any thickness, check for doneness after 45 minutes. Pork belly is done when it reaches an internal temperature of at least 145°F and the meat is fork tender but still slightly pink inside.
If checked early and it’s not quite done, continue steaming in 10 minute increments until ready. For very thick cuts approaching 2 inches, steam up to 1 3⁄4 hours maximum.
Step-By-Step Instructions For Steaming Pork Belly
Follow these simple steps for perfectly steamed pork belly every time:
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Prepare pork belly as directed above.
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Set up a steamer pot with a steamer basket or rack inserted. Fill with water just below the basket. Bring water to a simmer.
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Place pork belly skin side up on the steamer rack. Make sure not to overcrowd.
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Steam pork belly for minimum 45 minutes and up to 1 1⁄2 hours, depending on thickness. Check frequently toward the end.
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Use a meat thermometer to check temperature in thickest part. Stop steaming at 145°F.
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Carefully remove pork belly from steamer. Let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.
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Slice against the grain into 1⁄4 inch thick pieces. Serve and enjoy!
Tips For Steaming Juicy, Tender Pork Belly
Follow these tips for the best results when steaming pork belly:
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Choose a high-quality, evenly thick pork belly for even cooking.
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Resist peeking under the lid too frequently, which releases steam and increases time.
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Use a digital thermometer for precise temperature monitoring.
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Allow the pork to rest before slicing to redistribute juices.
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Add aromatics like garlic, ginger, or lemongrass to the steaming liquid for extra flavor.
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Turn and rearrange pork belly pieces halfway through steaming.
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Brush with sauce or glaze during last 10-15 minutes if desired.
Serving Your Steamed Pork Belly
Steamed pork belly is delicious served as-is, or try these tasty serving suggestions:
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Pork belly buns with hoisin sauce and pickled vegetables
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Over rice with a Thai chili sauce
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In lettuce wraps, tacos, or sandwiches
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Chopped in fried rice or noodle stir fries
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Alongside dipping sauces like chili garlic, ponzu, or nuoc cham
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In soups, stews, hot pots, or ramen
Steaming is a foolproof way to achieve pork belly that’s meltingly tender on the inside with an incredibly crisp, crackling skin outside. Follow these guidelines on how long to steam pork belly, and you’ll have perfect results every time.
Choosing Ingredients for Xianshaobai
Because xianshaobai is a time-consuming dish to prepare, it’s more often reserved for holidays or special occasions. Therefore, when we do make it, I appreciate the excuse to pull out some nice stuff. Particularly in a dish with so few ingredients involved, quality counts and makes a noticeable difference. (Although nothing replaces good technique—keep reading!).
For this recipe, you’ll need a Chinese light and dark soy sauce. I pulled the super-premium handstirred Zhongba light soy sauce as a special touch, but feel free to use the 360 everyday version, my usual go-to. Either of these are already dramatically better than any soy sauce you’ll find elsewhere (just look at the reviews). Similarly, the Pearl River Bridge in (the back of) my pantry hasn’t seen the light of day since The Mala Market started carrying Zhongba’s dark soy sauce. Especially with dark soy, a little goes a long way.
Yibin 碎米芽菜 (suìmǐyácài) makes up the bulk of this dish’s non-pork belly portion. Pickled yacai is made by drying, salting, and double-fermenting the tender stems of mustard greens. Our ready-to-eat package with minced stems is called suimiyacai, which means “broken rice” in English. We love these packets because they don’t need to be soaked or rinsed before going from the pantry to the wok for stir-fry dishes. We rinse the extra salt off of the mustard greens for this dish because they are used as a vegetable bed and not just as a seasoning. If we didn’t, the dish would taste too salty.
Sichuan’s fermented black soybeans, 豆豉 (dòuchǐ), are plump, moist “umami bombs” we add to the saucy yacai base for a concentrated kick of flavor that stands up against the fatty pork belly. Unlike the dried Cantonese varieties that require rinsing before use, these are also ready to go straight from the bag.
The most important thing is to choose a wide strip of pork belly with as many even layers of meat and fat as you can. This isn’t always possible, but if you’re choosing between several strips, keep it in mind.
Begin by washing and rinsing the yacai two to three time until water runs mostly clear. You may also let it soak for a couple minutes to remove more of the saltiness if desired. Drain and set aside to dry while you process the pork belly.
Processing and Parboiling the Pork Belly
In traditional cooking, there are two ways to burn the skin: 1) with an open flame, like a blow torch, and 2) in a pan on the stove. To get rid of any remaining hair, get rid of the pig smell from the skin, and make the cooked meat taste better, this step is important.
Dry-sear the pork belly’s skin side in a hot wok or skillet until it gets dark and bubbles up. To keep the pork belly from sticking, move it around the wok with chopsticks or tongs as it sears. Use the edge of a big knife to scrape off the burnt hair and dark surface of the meat while it’s running under warm running water (sink water will do).
Add cold water and rinsed pork belly to a large pot. Bring to a boil and then add ginger slices, scallion, whole huajiao and cooking wine. Simmer gently over low heat, covered, for 20-25 minutes. Check that the skin side is easily penetrable with a chopstick through to the middle. Cook the meat only until it’s 90% done, which means it’s no longer pink but still has some bloody fluids coming out when you press it with a chopstick. If the meat isn’t cooked enough at this point, the skin will also be undercooked, which will make the skin tougher when it’s fried later.
Quickly move the cooked pork belly to a plate or cutting board and turn off the heat in the pot. Save the cooking water for the next step, which is to soak the pork belly. Wipe excess oil from skin surface with a paper towel. Holding three toothpicks together like a stippling brush, poke the skin all over so color can better penetrate. Add more or less of the ½ tablespoon of dark soy sauce to the warm, stippled skin as needed. Leave the skin side up for 5 minutes to soak up the color. The skin will not take up color as well once cooled or over-greased.
Boiled Pork Belly with Garlic Sauce / Chinese Food Recipes / Pork Belly Recipes
FAQ
How long does pork take to steam?
How long must pork belly be cooked?
Does steaming pork make it tender?
How long do you cook pork belly in a steamer?
Stir fry for 2 minutes over a low-medium heat. Pour the mustard greens over the pork belly slices and put the dish into a steamer to steam for 2 hours on high heat. Make sure the lid is on the whole time. When ready, remove the dish from the steamer.
How long does it take to cook a pork belly?
Cook for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Place the seasoned pork belly in the preheated oven. Roast it for 2 hours and 15 minutes to roast the meat all the way through. Check the pork belly halfway through the cooking process.
How long do you cook pork belly in a slow cooker?
Roast pork belly in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Then, increase the temperature to 400°F (200°C) for another 35 minutes. Prepare pork belly in a slow cooker for 4 hours on a high setting. Then, brown each side of the meat on the stovetop with some of the leftover juice.
How do you cook a block of pork belly?
Put the block of pork belly into a small pot. Fill with water just enough to cover the meat. Add scallions and ginger. Bring the water to a boil then turn the heat down to the lowest. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the meat sit in the pot for a further 30 minutes then take it out.