Chinese Cured Pork Belly
User Reviews
5
21 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
7 d 1 hr
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Servings
20
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Calories
16 kcal
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Course
Side Dish, Main Course
Chinese Cured Pork Belly
Report
Chinese Cured Pork Belly is prepared by marinating boneless pork belly pieces in a mixture of soy sauces, salt, sugar, cooking rice wine, and traditional spices like five-spice powder and garlic powder, along with ground ginger. After an extended marinating period of one to two days in the refrigerator, the pork is threaded and hung to dry for about a week in a dry, moderately sunny environment, allowing the flavors to concentrate and the texture to develop.
Description
Chinese Cured Pork Belly involves carefully selecting pieces that balance fat and lean meat, then submerging them in a flavorful marinade combining soy sauces, salt, sugar, rice wine, five-spice powder, garlic powder, and ground ginger. This marinade imparts a rich, savory-sweet seasoning to the pork. The marinating process requires the pork to be kept flat in the refrigerator and flipped halfway through to ensure even coverage of the flavors.
Following marination, the pork belly is threaded through the meat (avoiding the fat) and hung in a dry, ventilated area with some sunlight exposure for several days to cure slowly. This drying phase fosters the development of a shiny fat layer, signaling the curing progress. The finished cured pork belly can be stored frozen for several months or kept refrigerated for a short period before use.
This preparation is traditional in cooler, drier weather to avoid spoilage and requires monitoring ambient conditions for best results. The cured pork belly can then be used in various Chinese dishes, imparting deep flavor and a firm yet tender texture.
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Ingredients
- 10 pieces pork belly (Boneless cut around 4.26 pounds)
Marinated Sauce:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cooking rice wine
- ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 lice ginger (Grind)
Instructions
- Remove the boneless cut pork belly from the package. It is best to choose half fat and half meat. (This is 4.26 pounds and has 10 pieces. You can get 3-4 pounds of pork belly.)
- Put the pork belly into the plastic ziplock bag. (I prefer to use a ziplock bag to marinate because it’s easier and less messy.)
- Pour ¼ cup of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of salt, ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of cooking rice wine, ¼ teaspoon of five spices, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 slice of grind ginger into a bowl. Then, mix it well.
- After that, pour the marinade sauce from step 3 into the bag of pork belly. Then, zip and tighten the bag. Massage the bag of meat and make sure the sauce covers each pork belly. Let the pork belly marinade in the refrigerator for at least a full day (24 hours). Marinated for 1-2 days is ok. Remember to lay the marinated pork belly bag flat in the refrigerator (12 hours) and flip the other side at night before going to sleep (12 hours).
- Cut 10 of the 36 inches long strings. (Because I have 10 pieces of pork belly.) Then, thread a string through the needle and tie the end.
- Next, take a piece of marinated pork belly and thread through the meat part a couple times to secure the meat. Cut the needle out and tie the string. See the video below the recipe card for detail.
- Repeat steps 5-6 until the marinated pork belly is tied with a string.
- After, put the safety pins through the strings. (You can use any hooks that help hanging is ok.)
- The following, hang the marinated pork belly outside in the early morning until dark at night. Then, I put them back in the refrigerator cover with a plastic wrap. I repeat this process for 7 days on average depending on the weather and area. (The first day hanging the marinated pork belly out, I usually put a plastic cover under the meat because it prevents the liquid from dripping on the floor.)
- These Chinese bacon are hanging outside 2-3 days on a mostly sunny day, humidity was around 56%-76% and wind was around 5-9 mph.
- On days 4-5, hanging the lap yuk outside. (On a sunny day, humidity was around 51%-69% and wind was around 4-7 mph.) You can see a layer of oil shiny on the meat. It’s a good indicator that the bacon is almost done.
- Chinese cured pork belly, lap yuk, is ready after hanging outside for 7 days.
- You can cut it into slices. (When the lap yuk is dried and cold, it is hard to cut.)
- Therefore, a lot of people like to wash the lap yuk with warm or hot water. Then, put lap yuk on a plate and steam it for 10 minutes. (After the water is boiling, put the lap yuk in and account for 10 minutes.)
- After steaming lap yuk for 10 minutes, it is softer.
- And, steamed lap yuk is easier to cut. The taste is even better.
Notes
- Select pork belly with approximately equal parts fat and lean for balanced texture and flavor.
- Marinate pork belly in a well-mixed sauce and ensure the meat is evenly coated by massaging the bag and flipping it after 12 hours.
- After marinating for 1-2 days, thread the pork belly through the meat portion to hang it securely for drying.
- Hang the pork belly in a dry, cool area with some sunlight for about 5-7 days, adjusting time based on local humidity and temperature.
- Watch for a shiny layer of oil on the curing pork as an indicator of readiness.
- Store cured pork belly wrapped in parchment and sealed in a ziplock bag in the freezer for long-term storage, or refrigerate for short periods.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
16kcal
(1%)
Carbohydrates
3g
(1%)
Protein
1g
(2%)
Fat
1g
(2%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
1mg
(0%)
Sodium
961mg
(40%)
Potassium
14mg
(0%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Vitamin A
1IU
(0%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
2mg
(0%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 20Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 16 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 16kcal | 1% |
| Carbohydrates | 3g | 1% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 1mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 961mg | 40% |
| Potassium | 14mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 1IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 2mg | 0% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
21 reviews
Excellent
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