Description
Honey glazed pork belly brings together sweet and salty flavors that dance across your taste buds in perfect harmony. Crispy edges and tender meat make this dish a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that will have your dinner guests asking for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 pound pork belly
Seasoning:
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Glaze:
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F, ensuring the rack sits in the center position for even cooking.
- Take the 1-pound pork belly and carefully score the skin in a diamond pattern using a sharp knife, creating shallow crosshatch cuts about ¼ inch deep.
- Mix 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
- Generously rub the entire surface of your pork belly with the spice mixture, making sure to get the seasoning into the score marks.
- Place the seasoned pork belly on a roasting pan with the skin side facing up, ensuring it sits flat and uncrowded.
- Roast the pork belly in the preheated 350°F oven for exactly 1 hour, allowing the fat to render and the meat to become tender.
- Whisk ¼ cup honey and 3 tablespoons dry sherry in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Remove the pork belly from the oven and carefully brush the entire surface with the honey-sherry glaze.
- Return the glazed pork belly to the oven and continue roasting at 350°F for an additional 30 minutes until the skin turns crispy and golden.
- Let the pork belly rest for 10 minutes after removing from the oven to allow the juices to redistribute.
- Slice the pork belly into ½-inch thick pieces and serve immediately while hot and crispy.
Notes
- For crispy skin, pat the pork belly dry with paper towels before seasoning to remove excess moisture.
- Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes after cooking to allow juices to redistribute and make slicing easier.
- If your pork belly has an uneven thickness, consider using kitchen twine to tie it into a more uniform shape for even cooking.
- Swap honey with maple syrup or agave for different flavor profiles, keeping the glaze’s sweet base consistent.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Pork
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 to 4
- Calories: 424 kcal
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 1160 mg
- Fat: 37 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg