Sticky pork belly with pineapple and soy sauce twice cooked to create a delicious sweet, sour & salty dish with Anglo-Chinese influences.
The first phase of cooking involves simmering the pork in water, then it is simmered in honey, soy, chilli and vinegar. So whilst this dish takes a while to cook it is really easy!
Twice Cooked Pork Belly with Chinese Influences
You will find pineapple appearing in all sorts of savoury recipes here on Krumpli. Although I must point out that it will never appear on Pizza… just don’t tell my wife!
It is particularly good with pork, whether that be my sweet and sour pork chops, my sideways look at a gammon salad or pork and pineapple filled lettuce wraps.
I even use it in a fruity pineapple and chicken curry!
This pork belly recipe features wonderfully fatty pork belly and uses pretty classic Chinese techniques and combines them with very western takeaway sticky sweet and sour flavour combinations.
The twice-cooked pork method is pretty common in Chinese food, particularly with pork belly.
It is often said that this is to remove impurities from the meat… which sounds, let’s face it frightening! However, by impurities, it means pulling off some of the protein and blood deposits.
They are not bad for you, it is just what it is. However, by cooking twice you are removing them and not adding them into the braising liquid which leads to a crystal clear shiny glaze.
If you are looking for other braised pork belly recipes then you must check out my Indonesian influenced babi chin, Korean influenced pork belly or Vietnamese pork belly recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chinkiang vinegar?
Chinkiang is Chinese black rice vinegar, it has a deep rich almost smoky flavour that is far more complex than white rice vinegar.
I use it in lots of my Chinese-inspired recipes, particularly sweet and sour recipes. You can sub for regular rice vinegar but the flavour profile will change a lot.
Can I use fresh pineapple?
Yes absolutely, it works wonderfully. But I cook for two and a whole pineapple leads to lots of leftovers and I only use it if I have plan to use it up in the short term.
Should I use tinned pineapple in syrup or juice?
Use pineapple in natural juice rather than syrup. I personally thing that is pretty sage advice for all cooking, particularly savoury cooking!
Can I omit the dried chilli?
Yes, this recipe works just as well sans chilli, if spice is an issue you should scale black the black pepper too!
I’m a bit of a fiend for spice, but I am aware not everyone is.
Serving Suggestions
I almost always serve this twice-cooked sticky pork belly recipe with rice of some description.
It is pictured here with plain steamed rice, but it would be great with egg-fried rice too.
But it would work well with stir fried broccoli or an asparagus stir fry the veggies make a nice lighter note for this met dominated recipe.
This quickly-cooked Asian Cabbage recipe would also be a good option.
If you wanted to rock something a little lighter, then this papaya salad or cucumber salad would both be good shouts!
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they will make a material difference toa recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- 33-35cm (13-14″) skillet or frying pan.
- 20cm (8″) nonstick frying pan.
- Chopping board.
- Sharp kitchen knife.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
- Sieve or colander.
- Kitchen paper.
Yield: 2 Servings
Spicy Sticky Pork Belly Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
This delicious twice-cooked sticky pork belly recipe is simply stunning, that rich pork with the fresh sweet and sour pineapple is a match made in heaven!
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) Pork Belly
- 230g (8oz) Tinned Pineapple
- 250g (1⅔ Cup) Onion
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 50ml (3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Chinkiang Vinegar
- 125ml (½ Cup) Light Soy Sauce
- 75g (∼¼ Cup) Honey
- 1 Tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- 250ml (1 Cup) Water
Instructions
- Dice the pork belly into 2.5cm (1") cubes.
- Peel and cut the onion in half and then slice into 3mm (⅛") thick half-moon shapes.
- Peel the garlic then slice it as thinly as you can.
- Bring a large skillet or frying pan (32-35cm or 13-14") of water to a boil, add the pork and simmer for 20 minutes, then remove and pat dry.
- Clean out the pan and return it to a high heat, when it is hot add half of the cooking oil.
- Add the sliced onion and pork and cook for 10-12 minutes to get a little colour.
- Throw in the garlic, chilli flakes and black pepper and cook for another 60 seconds.
- Pour in the water, soy, vinegar and honey.
- Bring to a boil before turning down to medium-low and then simmer for 70 minutes.
- Dry the pineapple on a little kitchen paper.
- Heat the remaining oil in a second nonstick frying pan (20cm or 8" or larger) over a high heat.
- Throw in the pineapple and sear on both sides, this should take 7 or 8 minutes.
- Add the pineapple to the pork mix and cook for a final 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 988Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 39gCholesterol: 169mgSodium: 3173mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 4gSugar: 49gProtein: 54g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
