Take-out Tuesday, Pork Belly Bites and Goodbye January

the Painted Apron

4 years ago

We had an impromptu family gathering Saturday evening

and I decided to try a couple of new recipes

to celebrate the end of this very cold January

We didn’t get any snow,

but we had many days of very cold temperatures

and sub freezing nights

I finally got around to making Pork Belly Bites,

something that’s been on my to do list for a long time

Pork Belly is basically a big slab of unsliced bacon

I bought it at Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s pork belly is already cooked

so all you have to do is brown it and crisp it up

I read a lot of recipes

and learned that marinating it before cooking makes it juicier

First trim excess fat and cut the belly slab into chunks

then place it in a bowl with enough marinade to cover

I used my favorite Island Teriyaki by Soy Vay

Put it in the refrigerator for several hours,

and stir it every so often

Place it on a parchment lined baking sheet

and roast at 400 for 30 minutes

{sorry I forgot to take photos of this part, too busy talking!}

After 30 minutes,

turn the pieces over and return to oven for 15 more minutes

or until they are crisp and look done

Transfer bites to a serving dish

and drizzle with a little of your favorite BBQ sauce

Serve with toothpicks or cocktail forks…

Insanely good!

Pork Belly Bites

Pork Belly cut into chunks, marinated, roasted in the oven and drizzled with BBQ sauce just might become your new favorite appetizer. Easy to make and very easy to eat!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword pork belly, pork belly bites, slab bacon

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

marinate 3

Servings 4

Equipment

parchment paper

Ingredients

12 oz. pork belly slab I used Trader Joe's
1 cup teriyaki marinade I used Soy Vay Island Teriyaki
BBQ sauce optional
green onions optional
sesame seeds optional

Instructions

Trim skin and excess fat from pork and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
Place meat in a bowl and cover with marinade
Refrigerate for 3 hours, stirring every hour or so
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place chunks on paper leaving space between them. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Check to see if they're done.
After 30 minutes turn chunks over and return to oven for 15 minutes if they need further cooking. Time will be determined by size of chunks and type of pork belly used.
Place pork belly bites in a serving bowl and drizzle with BBQ sauce or garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds

Notes

*If using fresh pork belly, increase cooking time to 1 hour

Cooking time may vary according to type of pork belly used and size of chunks, they might be done after 30 minutes, so check at 30 minutes and adjust time as necessary.

Our menu was a combination of take-out food,

a family favorite Salsa Bread

and 2 more new recipes that I will be sharing soon

Hot Bacon Bleu Cheese Dip

and Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Jam