The Best Liquid To Use For Braising Pork Belly

There are a number of prized pig parts that we enjoy, and pork belly has to be at the top of our list. The cut is incredibly rich and packed with a mouth-watering, savory flavor. Although we love roasted or grilled pork belly, braising the meat highlights its tenderness beautifully. To determine the best braising liquid for pork belly, we spoke to an expert who knows just the one.

Pork belly shines when it's prepared with the right set of ingredients, so we'd only get advice from a seasoned professional. Rich Parente is more than just the chef and owner of Clock Tower Grill in Brewster, New York. He also produces ingredients for his restaurant at Clock Tower Farm, which he runs with his wife Cassie, the co-owner and general manager. There, they raise lamb and pigs, grow crops, and have time to test out what Parente believes is the best ingredient for cooking braised pork belly.

"A savory broth is a great braising liquid for pork belly," he says. An umami liquid is just the thing for the meat — it maximizes its richness while complementing its naturally hearty taste. A miso or mushroom-rich broth would bring an earthy, tangy flair to pork belly, but Parente is a fan of something meatier. More specifically, he recommends chicken broth for braising pork belly. The distinct poultry flavor will remain present, but it's light enough to allow the pork belly to shine through.

Pork belly holds tons of flavor on its own, but to get the most of it, season your chicken broth well. Parente says to use vegetables, as well as a wealth of specific spices, "like Asian flavors with scallion, ginger, and star anise." Pork belly is routinely used in Asian cuisines, so you can trust that these spices offer tried and true ways to improve upon the taste of the meat. While both ginger and star anise deliver a sweet yet fiery boost to pork belly, the green onions bring an earthy, peppery kick.

Adding alliums to broth is always a great option for seasoning it — toss in plenty of minced garlic, onions, or shallots to elevate the pork belly. If you don't know how else to season the broth, turn to the ingredients in a house-blend five-spice powder. This blend features ginger and star anise, aforementioned staples for pork belly, as well as sweet cloves, pungent cassia bark, and a dash of licorice-like fennel seeds.

Braised pork belly can be served with steamed rice or noodles, but it's also wonderful over a bed of greens. Our crispy miso-braised pork belly salad features the meat on mizuna, a Japanese mustard green that's peppery with a bitter edge. For the dressing, leftover braising liquid is combined with lime juice and oil, giving the pork belly salad a sharp, zesty finish.