Pork Belly

Mofongo is a garlicky, salty green-plantain-based dish hailing from the island of Puerto Rico, though it has woven itself into the cultural fabric of the Dominican Republic and parts of Cuba as well.

Although it calls for pork belly, bacon, and chorizo, any cut of pork can be used in this recipe based on a traditional paella from days gone by.

This pork belly burnt ends recipe calls for a three-step process that candies the pork belly by smoking, then rendering, and adding barbecue sauce at the end.

This tonkotsu ramen recipe is time-consuming but worth the effort—both the stock and the marinade can be made a day in advance.

Mala dry pot may be hot pot’s soupless cousin, but don’t mistake this lack of soup for lack of flavor. 

In some parts of Japan, yakiton (skewered, grilled pork) is even more popular than grilled chicken.

This Korean grilled pork belly is a party waiting to happen, so set it out with the grilled kimchi and kitchen shears and let guests assemble lettuce wraps themselves.

These pan-fried pork cracklin’s are flavored with bay leaves and get a squeeze of lime juice when they are hot out of the pan.

This dish is full of a bewitching fragrance that comes from steaming it under a generous cap of fermented greens, exchanging aromas and flavors.

Sinuglaw is a combination of fish ceviche—in this case, vinegar-cured tuna—plus smoky grilled pork belly. The flavorful dish gets dressed with coconut milk, ginger, red onion, chiles, and tomato.

Pork belly is ubiquitous throughout the Philippines; the fat is glorious and tastes great grilled. Getting a nice char on the fatty bits is important, as it adds another level of flavor to the salty-sour-tart-sweetness of the soy-calamansi marinade.

The crunchiness and juiciness of flowering chives combined with tender, lightly seasoned pork is an unbeatable combination—and this dish is super quick to make.

This casserole relies on the complementary flavors and textures of taro and pork belly: one meaty, the other earthy; one chewy, the other tender.

Gochujang gives pork belly a nice kick and a deep, complex flavor in this sweet-and-spicy sandwich inspired by Korean jeyuk bokkeum.

The most popular person at any Japanese street festival is the yakisoba guy. Standing at a small cart with a hot griddle, he wears a twisted hair band and holds two giant spatulas, one in each hand. With great energy and fanfare he stir-fries a heap of vegetables and pork with chukasoba noodles—the yellow, springy Chinese-style wheat noodles more commonly known as ramen. He finishes with a glug of the special bottled sauce that tastes like a spicier version of tonkatsu sauce, and customers walk toward him like zombies. At home, however, the dish is best cooked one portion at a time.

A combination of pork belly and pork shoulder, slow-cooked to tenderness and then crisped in a pan, yields carnitas with unparalleled texture and richness.

When it comes to a special-occasion main course, it doesn't get more timeless or show-stopping than porchetta.

Sweet and spicy pork belly lettuce wraps—served with a refreshing cucumber salad—are a cool, crunchy dinner for sweltering August nights.

You might think the braised pork belly is too sweet on its own. But paired with the sour kimchi and salty roe, it comes into eye-opening balance.

This meltingly tender pork belly is an impressive yet surprisingly easy hors d’oeuvre to make—all you need is patience. The pork belly, barbecue sauce, pickled onions and crostini can all be completed at least three days ahead of time, making day of prep a breeze.