The Absolute Best Way To Cook Skinless Pork Belly

Check your freezer for skinless pork belly. If you have some and are wondering how to cook it best (and how to avoid making a big mistake when cooking with pork belly), wonder no more; we have the answers for you. Having spoken with Rich Parente, chef and owner of Clock Tower Grill in Brewster, New York, we've discovered the absolute best way to cook skinless pork belly: First, you must cure it, and you'll have to be patient.

Parente elaborated, "Begin by curing it for up to 10 days in a salt bath with maple syrup, sugar, and black pepper. After the curing process, I like to smoke it. It should smoke slowly until the internal temperature reaches 200 [degrees Fahrenheit], which can take around four to five hours depending on the size of the cut." Since the slab of meat is skinless, the salt bath will cure all sides of the protein evenly. All sides of the meat will also have the right amount of smoky flavor without the skin acting as a tough barrier. Hence, each bite will be flavorful. However, after curing and smoking the skinless pork belly, Parente does not dig right in — he takes one additional step.

The additional step that Parente takes is grilling, which ensures perfectly cooked skinless pork belly. He stated, "Once it finishes smoking, slice it into steaks and cook it on the grill. All those sugars from the cure will caramelize, and the final result is a bacon-like pork steak that's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside."

Additionally, the bacon-like pork will have maple flavors from the sugary cure. The cooked skinless pork belly can be served for any meal, including breakfast. It can also be used to top salads or be made into delicious sandwiches. For inspiration, try our roast pork and broccoli rabe sandwich recipe this week. Instead of using slices of roast pork, use your perfected cured, smoked, and grilled skinless pork belly. As for breakfast, instead of frying up slices of bacon, pair silky scrambled eggs, toast, pancakes, and orange juice with Parente's bacon-like pork steak. Plus, a drizzle of maple syrup over the pork belly will go a long way and connect and balance all of the flavors of your savory breakfast plate.