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Update on pork belly

12 years ago

I asked a couple of months ago if anyone had experience with pork belly. It's all the rage here in Southern California with chi-chi chefs: I see it mentioned frequently in restaurant reviews in the Los Angeles Times Food section.

A few CF people responded saying they either had eaten or had not eaten pork belly. I looked for it in the grocery stores, but didn't find it.

Well, folks, I am here to tell you I think pork belly is disgusting. We were in Charleston, SC, the last few days, & ate at Poogan's Porch, a very good restaurant. I ordered Pork Two Ways, BBQed/shredded, & pork belly. Shredded was wonderful. Pork belly was soft, warm, & jellied - rather like what you would cut off a ham, only worse. (their macaroni & cheese with Brie & ham was wonderful - so flavorful).

UGGHHH! I kept reminding myself that I wanted to try pork belly... it was an experiment; but it turned out to be one I will not repeat. There were a couple of VERY thin tendrils of meat on top of the belly, & the rest was all jellied fat. I couldn't stomach it. I'm glad I didn't buy it & try to cook it - I think I would have thought it was my fault. Blechh!!

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Comments (10)

caliloo
12 years ago
OMG!!! YES!!!! I got sucked into the trendy black hole of trying pork belly at a very upscale restaurant last january. It was HORRIBLE!!!! That will top the list of food trends that we are glad to leave in the dust.

It is N.A.S.T.Y.!!!!!!!

A
Islay_Corbel
12 years ago
I think that's just bad pork. Belly is juicy and succulent. The crackling is wonderful. Cook it at home at you'll see!
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John Liu
12 years ago
Pork belly should have crisp, crunchy, tasty skin; tender ''pulled-like'' meat; and fat that melts into juice. It should not be a mouthful of thick, chewy fat. That said, yes pork belly has a lot of fat, so if you can't abide bacon unless the fat strip is brown and crisp, then you shouldn't expect to like pork belly, even really good pork belly. Also, even I who love fat, only have 2-4 cubes of the stuff (appx 1 cubic inch each). It is an appetizer not an entree in my opinion.
annie1992
12 years ago
I like pork belly smoked, we call it bacon. (grin) I still want it sliced and fried until crisp but not crunchy, if that makes sense.

A few chunks in beans is OK, if it's cooked long enough, but as john mentioned, it should NOT be a mouthful of thick chewy fat.

That said, I still don't think I'd eat a chunk of pork belly as my main entree, there's just too much fat.

when I was a kid we did eat "side pork" which is basically thin slices of pork belly, unsmoked/uncured bacon. Dunk it in BBQ sauce and it's palatable...

Annie
bulldinkie
12 years ago
Are we talking hog maw I like hog maw cant eat it now since surgery but I cut up smoked sausage,reg sausage,potatoes chopped,cabbage shredded mmmgood You shove it all in belly add water bake longer the better.
compumom
12 years ago
Phew, I thought it was just us who really didn't care for it. I'm not a fan of braised meats due to the greasiness factor, but DH loves them and he didn't like pork belly either! Lean is good!
Islay_Corbel
12 years ago
You need to roast it to roast off the fat. Not braise it.
kathleenca
Original Author
12 years ago
Hello Islay,

I still have your note on how to roast it from my first post, but it sure would take some will power for me to try it again. :) Oh well, it was an experiment, & at least the shredded pork was great.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
12 years ago
Pork belly is a very popular cut of meat in many cultures, and there are many way to make pork belly.

But pork belly is not like Lardo, bacon or prosciutto, which you are supposed to actually eat the fat. You can, if you want to.

I think the fat is included in pork belly recipes to add taste, just like the fat layer around a prime rib roast.

dcarch
kframe19
12 years ago
I turn my pork belly into home cured and smoked bacon. Given how fatty it is, there's no way I'd want to try cooking and eating it.

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