Description
Brined strips of pork belly, seared, then pressure cooked with beer, chicken broth, onion, carrot, bell pepper, garlic, coriander and thyme until meltingly tender.
Ingredients
Brine
- 2 quarts water
- 1/2 cup table salt (or 1 cup kosher salt)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Braise
- 2 pounds pork belly, skin removed, cut into 2 inch strips
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon coriander seed
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup beer
- 1 cup chicken broth (preferably homemade)
Instructions
- Brine the pork belly: Stir the water, table salt and brown sugar in a container until the salt dissolves. Add the pork belly, and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. Take the pork out of the brine, and pat dry.
- Sear the pork belly: Preheat the pressure cooker pot over medium heat. Add the pork belly fat side down, and sear for 5 minutes. Flip, and sear 5 minutes more. Move to a bowl, and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
- Saute the aromatics: Turn the heat to medium-high, and add the onion, carrot, bell pepper, garlic, coriander, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute until the onion starts to brown, about 8 minutes.
- Deglaze: Add the beer, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Pressure cook: Add the pork belly in a single layer if you can, and pour the chicken broth over everything. Lock the lid, and bring the cooker up to high pressure. Reduce the heat to maintain pressure, and cook for 40 minutes.
- Release the pressure: Remove from the heat, and let the pressure come down naturally, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve: Move the pork to a platter, and pour the cooking liquid into a gravy boat. Top each serving with a generous ladle of the sauce and vegetables.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Equipment: A 6 quart or larger pressure cooker. Read your cooker's manual for how to lock the lid and bring it to pressure.
Finer sauce: Scoop out the vegetables with a slotted spoon, pour the liquid into a fat separator, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Return the defatted liquid to the pot, boil until reduced by half, and serve a couple of tablespoons over each piece.
No pressure cooker? Use a heavy Dutch oven and 2 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and bake at 350°F for 3 hours, until the pork is tender.
Crisp edges: After pressure cooking, pat the pork dry, and sear it in a frying pan over medium-high heat for 3 to 6 minutes per side.
It's even better the next day. Refrigerate overnight, scrape off the fat, and simmer for 10 minutes before serving.
For more, try my Instant Pot Red Braised Pork Belly or Pressure Cooker Short Ribs with Mexican Flavors.
Adapted from Michael Symon's Live to Cook.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Brine: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour