Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (2024)

This columbian style pork belly recipe is hugely inspired by the crispy pork belly specialty known as the Chicharron Colombiano. I really love how pork belly can end up having diverse textures in just a single dish – a crisp crackling on top, a perfectly rendered fat layer beneath, and extra succulent meat with fall-off-the-bone tenderness at the bottom.

Colombian-Style Pork Belly

Speed - 93%

Simplicity - 97%

Tastiness - 100%

97%

Yummy!

Fall-off-the-bone tender and really succulent pork meat. Perfectly rendered fat layer. Evenly blistered crackling skin. This is just the best way to cook pork belly!

User Rating: 2.91 ( 165 votes)

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (1)

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (2)

Colombian Style Pork Belly

Pork belly cooked to perfection. The result makes the somewhat tedious preparation easily worth going through.

Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 8 hours hours

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 22 hours hours

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Colombian

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1.5 Kilograms Pork Belly
  • 1 Piece White Onion quartered
  • 2 Pieces Bay Leaf
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns
  • 6 Pieces Cloves
  • Salt to taste
  • Vegetable Oil for frying

Instructions

  • Combine the pork belly, onions, bay leaves, black peppercorns, cloves, and salt in the slow cooker. Cover with water and leave on high for 3 hours.

  • Take the pork belly out of the pot and set on a cooling rack. Leave to cool to room temperature.

  • Chill the pork overnight.

  • Rub the pork generously with salt.

  • Deep fry over low heat until evenly golden.

  • Set on a wire rack and leave to cool.

  • Flash fry over high heat until crackling.

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Honestly, I’ve had several attempts to get to this level of perfection, trying every cooking method from oven-roasting, deep-frying, to broiling. I’ll have to say that I’m quite happy with the results that I’m getting so far. Let me walk you through the tedious (but totally worth) process.

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (3)

We begin by completely tenderizing the slabs of pork belly in the slow cooker together with our basic flavoring components. You can use any blend of aromatics and spices at this point, but this simple mix of onions, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, and salt does prove enough.

I used to do this step on the stovetop, which compared to using the slow cooker, required much more supervision as I had to monitor constantly for liquid evaporation.

I’ve also tried skipping this step, going by the more traditional way of gentle frying. Though effective at rendering the pork crisp, this method dries the pork out too much, all the way to those layers of lean meat which we all want to remain succulent.

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (4)

Get the pork really tender, stopping just before the point that it starts to fall apart. Set it on a wire rack, and leave it out to cool to room temperature. Once cool enough, leave it overnight inside the chiller.

Allowing that layer of skin to really dry out is essential to getting the perfect crackling.

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (5)

Take the pork out of the chiller and rub a generous amount of coarse salt all around it. Not much for flavor, we’re using that salt to draw out more moisture, drying our pork even more.

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (6)

Heat up enough vegetable oil in the fryer to get the pork totally submerged. Fry the slabs of pork belly over low heat until it gets an even golden brown color. This process should take somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes.

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (7)

Once nice and golden, take the pork out of the fryer and set it on a cooling rack to drain off any excess oil and to cool down to room temperature.This step is again essential and will make a really huge difference to your crackling.

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (8)

Once the pork has cooled down, get the oil in the fryer really hot and flash-fry those pork belly slices for about a minute or two. Because of the huge temperature difference between the oil and the pork, you should almost instantly notice that skin get those familiar blisters.

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (9)

Finally, take the pork out of the oil and again set it on the cooling rack to air dry for a couple more minutes. Certain spots on the skin may initially be chewy out of the hot oil and should turn out brittle as it cools off a bit.

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (10)
Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (11)
Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (12)
Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (13)

Table of Contents

Why Is Pork Belly So Delicious?

The fat in pork belly is part of what makes it so amazing. This fat breaks down when you cook the meat slowly and gives you an amazingly rich flavor.

The cut also has plenty of flavor of its own, including a rich umami taste. Honestly, if you love bacon, pork belly tastes simply incredible.

Other Pork Belly Recipes

Pork belly is a versatile cut that can be used in many ways. Here’s a selection of other recipes for you to try out. Some come from this site, while others are from further afield.

  • Sous Vide Pork Belly Adobo. The sous vide helps to create an amazingly tender version of pork belly, one that highlights the rich flavors of the cut.
  • Sous Vide Mustard and Molasses Pork Belly Strips. This recipe uses sous vide as well, but provides a completely different flavor profile. The combination of mustard and molasses is amazing and naturally complements the flavor of the pork.
  • Sous Vide Chinese Pork Belly. While this Chinese style pork belly recipe is a little more complex, it’s worth every second. The pork belly is particularly good in Chinese bao buns, although other uses are delicious too.
  • Oven Roasted Crispy Pork Belly. With this simple recipe, you’re roasting pork belly in the oven. It’s also a very simple recipe, featuring just four familiar ingredients.
  • Honey Glazed Crispy Bork Belly. Want to step things up a little? This recipe could be perfect, as it features a delicious honey glaze.
Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (14)

Slow Cooker Dong Po Rou

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (15)

Thai Black Pepper Pork

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (16)

21 Stunning Recipes That Use Fresh Figs

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (17)

Quick Lentil Falafel with Basmati Rice

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (18)

Fried Cheese with Balsamic Tomatoes

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (19)

Spicy Sardine Potato Balls

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (20)

Crispy Baked Lemon Pepper Wings Recipe

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (21)

Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Salad

Is Pork Belly Bad For You?

Pork has a poor reputation as a ‘dirty’ cut of meat, one that might harbor disease or cause notable health issues. But, most of those perspectives are simply rumors or have been blown way out of proportion.

The biggest health risk with pork is related to the saturated fat content. This isn’t great news for pork belly, as it is a very fatty cut of meat. Pork could also raise cancer risk in the same way as red meat, partly due to the high temperature it is cooked at.

Still, pork belly has benefits too, as it contains a decent amount of protein and nutrients. It’s also low in carbs, which is particularly relevant for keto dieters.

In the end, pork belly has more health issues than benefits, but honestly, does that really matter? A healthy diet can still include less than ideal food some of the time. Having pork belly every so often isn’t likely to cause any harm at all.

Columbian Style Pork Belly Recipe | Food For Net (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook pork belly so it's not tough? ›

Slow roast 1 1/2 hours – Roast the pork in a 140°C/285°F oven (120°C fan) for a total of 2 1/2 hours. Keeping the temperature this low allows the meat to become tender, for the fat to render (melt) so we get the “confit” cooking effect, and also to dry out the pork skin yet keep it supple.

What makes pork belly good? ›

Pork belly has a rich, savory flavor with a slightly sweet and slightly salty taste. It has a high-fat content, which gives it a rich, succulent flavor when it is cooked.

What is Colombian chicharron made of? ›

The Colombian method is as follows: Place segments of pork belly in a cooking vessel with a bit of water, set it over the stove, and let the fat slowly render out. Towards the end, after the water has cooked off, turn up the heat, thereby using the remaining liquified fat in the wok to fry the belly.

Is pork belly the same as chicharron? ›

Chicharrones are a unique way to prepare pork belly. While it is most often associated with bacon, pork belly is the key ingredient for this traditional Mexican snack. Try it for for Cinco de Mayo or any time you need a savory appetizer.

How to make pork extremely tender? ›

How to Make Tender Pork Chops
  1. Opt for Thick-Cut Bone-In Pork Chops. Thin-cut pork chops won't sear properly in the time it takes to cook them through. ...
  2. Skip the Brine, but Season Liberally. ...
  3. Let the Pork Chops Rest. ...
  4. Sear Pork Chops Over Medium-High Heat. ...
  5. Baste the Pork Chops. ...
  6. Let the Pork Chops Rest, Again. ...
  7. Serve.
Feb 14, 2018

Does pork belly get more tender the more you cook it? ›

You can slow cook it in a slow cooker or oven at a low temperature for several hours until it's fully cooked and tender. This will help break down the tough connective tissues and collagen in the meat, resulting in a succulent and tender pork belly.

Why do you pour boiling water on pork belly? ›

boiled water over the scored rind. This will slightly. open the rind up.

Why won t my pork belly get crispy? ›

The skin wasn't dry enough. Make sure to pat the pork completely dry before rubbing in the salt and oil as excess moisture will stop it from crisping up. It's important to score the skin if you want it really crisp. You'll need a sharp knife for this, or ask your butcher to do it for you.

How to make Puerto Rican pork belly? ›

Instructions
  1. Season the pork. In a thick-bottomed big pot, mix pork belly, water, salt, oregano, pepper, and bitter orange juice.
  2. Cooking the pork. Cook uncovered over medium heat until all the liquid has evaporated (there will be some fat from the pork).
  3. Frying chicharrones. Add the oil to the pot.
  4. Serve.
Jan 22, 2024

What is a chicharron in Colombian slang? ›

Chicharron. Chicharron is a Colombian staple, the fried pork found on every bandeja paisa. The only time Colombians complain about chicharron is when they use the word to describe a problem at work, a situation that's near impossible to solve. You may hear a harrassed friend declare: “I have a chicharron…”

What is the difference between chicharon and chicharrones? ›

Is chicharrón the same thing as chicharrones? The technical Spanish professor's answer is that chicharrón is the singular form of chicharrones, much like pork rind is to pork rinds.

Is chicharron pork belly healthy? ›

Pork rinds or chicharrones are deep-fried pork skins. They're high in protein, fat, sodium, and calories but low in carbs. They may not be a healthy choice for people with high blood pressure or heart disease.

What is a fancy name for pork belly? ›

pancetta. lardoon. lardon. slab bacon. “Pork belly is a popular cut of meat in many Asian cuisines, often known for its rich and succulent flavor.”

Why is my pork belly skin hard? ›

If the heat is too high, the skin will get rock hard, along with the meat. That's why we use medium heat when we fry. And don't forget to dry the pork as much as possible first. The drier it is, the crispier the skin.

Why did my pork belly come out tough? ›

This is a tough muscle, so it needs a longer cooking time at low heat to breakdown the tough tissue." So, to serve up good roast pork, budget for at least 3-4 hours in the kitchen. If done correctly, a piece of roast pork should be so tender you can pierce its flesh with a fork.

How do you keep pork moist and tender? ›

Brining pork chops is one of the best ways way to guarantee a juicy cooked pork chop. Even a quick 30-minute brine (or up to four hours) makes a big difference. It's not strictly necessary — you can still use this method to make great pork chops even without brining — but if you have some extra time, I recommend it.

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