Manageability – Long Marinade, but Crazy Good.
Right out the gate – pork belly is a finicky protein, and this recipe calls for a 12 to 24-hour marinade. But if you can put up with that and the delicate oven temps that go along with cooking the belly, you are in for one hell of a taco.
Shared Appetite’s Pork Belly Tacos are full of flavor, and all the good kinds. Sweet, savory, juicy, and tangy are just a few of the words I could use to describe this one. The sugar flavoring is absolutely perfect for the pork belly. Then the addition of the ancho chili powder brings a heat that compliments that sweet. You got sweet plus heat? Dang, I could be writing for Guy Fieri.
But I digress. Pork belly is special and kinda hard to find, but when it’s prepped using this recipe it’s absolutely worth it. And these guys paired great with Unsophisticook’s Jalpeno Pineapple Salsa. I’ll have another, please.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless skinless pork belly
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
- 8–12 tortillas, warmed
- Ancho Chili Roasted Pineapple (figure it out)
- 2 avocados, chopped
- Pickled Onions (recipe below)
- Queso Fresco, crumbled
- Cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for garnish
Instructions
- Place pork belly in a glass baking dish and rub evenly with granulated sugar and Kosher salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and discard plastic wrap, pat dry and remove any liquid that has accumulated. Rub with ancho chili powder. Preheat oven to 450°F. Roast pork belly for 30 minutes, then lower heat to 275°F and roast for 1 hour more, until pork belly is tender.
- Let pork belly cool slightly, then slice into approximate 1/2″ slices. If you want perfectly clean slices: cool pork belly completely, then remove from baking dish and wrap in aluminum foil. Refrigerate until cold. Slice pork belly, then reheat in oven at 275°F wrapped in aluminum foil until heated through.
- Top tortillas with a couple slices of pork belly, chopped avocado, ancho chili roasted pineapple, pickled onions, and a sprinkle of queso fresco and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and preferably a margarita.
- Put into mouth and chew using teeth and tongue for optimal ingestion.