Ever tried hoisin sauce? It smells kinda like an Asian A1, but it can take a ho-hum cut of meat and transform it into something sticky-sweet and spicy and completely crave-inducing.
Meltingy tender and easy to carve, the bittersweet glaze cuts beautifully through the richness of the meat.
Ingredients:
• 2 1/2 to 3 lbs pork belly
For the Marinade/Glaze
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce (oyster sauce will work too)
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup raw organic agave honey
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp crushed Chili paste (or 2 tsp finely minced fresh red chili)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1. It's important to get a piece of pork belly that is a uniform thickness so that it cooks evenly. Try to get a piece that is about 3 inches thick.
2. Mix all of the ingredients and the marinade together and pour over the pork belly in a large Ziploc Bag.
3. Marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
5. Place the pork belly on a roasting rack and roast for 4-5 hours depending upon the thickness of the meat.
6. Reserve the marinade and pour it into your smallest saucepan. You can add all the same ingredients again to make extra sauce/glaze for rice or noodles at this point if you like.
7. Lowly simmer the marinade until it begins to become like a thin syrup; about maple syrup consistency.
8. In the last couple of hours of roasting. Begin to brush on layers of the glaze. I do this 4-6 times about every 20 minutes, to build good flavourful. sticky glaze on the pork belly.
9. Let the pork belly rest for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving. I also like to dice it in small bite sized chunks to serve over rice.
Enjoy!
