The first time I ate at David Chang’s Momofuku I had the pleasure of experiencing his famous gourmet version of a Chinese steamed pork bun. I grew up eating steamed buns, but never did those white fluffy buns come filled with thick slabs of fatty, delicious pork belly. “How the heck do they make it taste this good?” I asked, savoring every bite of my bun. My New Jersey gourmand friend responsible for introducing us to Momofuku explained matter-of-factly, “They braise the f*&$! out of it.” And since then when pork belly has come across our palates, we grade its tastiness based on the question of whether it’s been adequately braised the f*&$! out of—please excuse our language.
David Chang’s braised pork belly recipe comes from his Momofuku cook book. Chang’s inventive Asian-fusion continues to set the standard for what we should be feasting on in the foodie realm. The versatility of this main dish means you can literally serve it with anything—at least that’s how it’s treated in our kitchen. I upped the ante on my Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches and lets just say it was braised-the-f*&$!-out-of-greatness. Enjoy.
Love,
LH
- Nestle the belly into a roasting pan or other oven-safe vessel that holds it snugly. Mix together the salt and sugar in a small bowl and rub the mix all over the meat; discard any excess salt-and-sugar mixture. Cover the container with plastic wrap and put it into the fridge for at least 6-hours, but no longer than 24.
- Heat the oven to 450ºF.
- Discard any liquid that accumulated in the container. Put the belly in the oven, fat side up, and cook for 1-hour, basting it with the rendered fat at the halfway point, until it’s an appetizing golden brown.
- Turn the oven temperature down to 250ºF and cook for another 1-hour to 1-hour 15-minutes, until the belly is tender—it shouldn’t be falling apart, but it should have a down pillow–like yield to a firm finger poke. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the belly to a plate. Decant the fat and the meat juices from the pan and reserve (see the headnote). Allow the belly to cool slightly.
- When it’s cool enough to handle, wrap the belly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put it in the fridge until it’s thoroughly chilled and firm. (You can skip this step if you’re pressed for time, but the only way to get neat, nice-looking slices is to chill the belly thoroughly before slicing it.)
- Cut the pork belly into 1/2-inch-thick slices that are about 2-inches long. Warm them for serving in a pan over medium heat, just for a minute or two, until they are jiggly soft and heated through. Use at once.
