Plum-Glazed Pork Belly
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Use Damson plum jam if you can find it as the tartness will cut through the richness of the pork belly.
Ingredients
Glaze
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) plum jam (about 6 to 8 oz)
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- fresh ground black pepper
Pork
- 4 lbs (1.8 kg) pork belly
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 large sprig of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp fennel seed
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Mix all glaze ingredients together.
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Cut the pork belly into two equal pieces. Rub all sides of the pork with the sea salt, fennel seed, and ground pepper. Place the chopped onion, carrots, garlic, thyme and bay leaves in the bottom of the pan. Set the pork belly on the vegetables, fat side up. Roast the pork for 30 minutes, then add 2 cups of water to the pot. Cover and continue cooking for 3 hours total.
- When the meat is done, it will be very tender and juicy. Remove the belly from the pan, then pour off the pan juices and set aside.
- Turn the oven up to 425F. Place the pork belly into a shallow baking dish. Place back in the hot oven, fat side up, for 10 minutes so that it begins to develop a crispy layer. Spoon half of the glaze over the pork belly and return to the oven for 5 more minutes. Spoon the remaining glaze over the pork, and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
- When the pork is glazed, gently remove it from the pan and place in a serving dish. Add the pan juices from cooking to the glaze in the bottom of the pan. Stir with a spoon until the pan juices and the glaze in the bottom of the pan are mixed. This is your finished plum sauce.
- Serve the braised pork belly thinly slices with the plum sauce on the side.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 580
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Damson plum jam recommended over regular plum jam?
The excerpt explains that Damson plum jam is preferred because its tartness cuts through the richness of the pork belly — a more standard, sweeter plum jam will work but won’t balance the fat as effectively.
Why is the pork braised covered for 3 hours before being glazed at high heat?
The low 325°F covered braise for about 3 hours renders the fat and makes the meat very tender and juicy. The final step at 425°F, where the glaze is applied in two stages (5 minutes per coat), creates the caramelized, lacquered exterior.
What happens to the braising vegetables and pan juices after cooking?
Once the pork is done, you remove it and pour off the pan juices to set aside. After the glaze passes are complete, those reserved juices are stirred together with the glaze drippings in the bottom of the pan to make the finished plum sauce served alongside. 
Porkbelly, glazed? Sign me up please! This is so delicious!