DIY: Pork Belly

Pork belly: Where do you buy it? How do you make it? What the heck is it?  Pork belly is a slab of meat that comes directly from the fat belly-part of a pig, it's so deliciously juicy. You can buy a slab of from local meat markets...you definitely can't buy it at Giant Eagle or other chain-style grocery stores. If you live in the Cleveland area, I would suggest going to the Westside Market in Ohio City, or Hall Brother's Meat in Olmsted Falls. 

Pork belly can also be cooked a bunch of different ways. My method was cooking it in the oven for 3 and a half hours, so that the top fatty part turns sort of crunchy. Once it's cooked you can slice it and put in on sandwiches or steamed buns, it can be used in ramen, or on tacos.. or it can just be eaten plain! The options are endless. 

Ingredients:

• 1 3-4 lb slab of pork belly
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 of a white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce

Total cooking time: 3 1/2- 4 hours

Serving size: 15-20 3 inch slices 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 290 degrees.
2. Rub all sides of the pork belly with the salt and cayenne pepper, use more on the bottom and less on the top fatty side. 
3. Use a very sharp knife, and slice a criss-cross pattern, about half an inch deep. Rub in the seasonings a tiny bit more in order to fill up the crevices you just created. 
4. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil, and make a bed of onions to set the pork belly top of. 
5. Cook the pork belly in the oven for 3 hours. 
6. Check the pork belly at 3 hours, and brush the top of it heavily with BBQ sauce. 
7. Let it cook for another half hour or so. I cooked my pork belly for exactly 3 hours and 25 minutes-- but I think it could of used another 20 minutes to get a little more crispy. If you want to turn your heat up to 325 for the last 10-15 minutes feel free to do so, it helps with the crisp factor. 
8. Let the pork belly sit for 15 minutes after you take it out of the oven. 
9. Slice the pork belly into pieces just like you would with a loaf of bread--however thick you want your pieces. My pieces were about 1/4-1/2 inches thick. Be gentle and careful when slicing because the criss-cross pattern makes it a little harder to slice since it's already been sliced up a bit on top. 
10. Serve in ramen, in tacos, plain with dipping sauce, or however else you would like! I served mine in tacos with cilantro, mangos, more BBQ sauce, and goat cheese! Enjoy :)