Get ready to sink your teeth into the most perfect pork belly with crackling. So golden, so crunchy, you won’t believe it came out of your own backyard. This recipe is all about achieving that perfect even crunch on the outside while keeping the meat juicy and tender on the inside. It’s a labor of love, but trust me, it’s well worth the effort. With a few simple ingredients and some patience, you’ll be able to achieve that perfect crackling every time. So fire up the grill, grab a cold one, and let’s get started!
Take the rib bones out of the pork belly, keeping the knife as close to the bones as possible to minimize waste.
Pat the skin dry with paper towels. Use a meat tenderizer to create tiny holes all over the skin, avoiding pushing the spikes through to the layer of fat underneath.
Slice into the meat horizontally at regular intervals, about 2-3cm apart, and make a few shallow vertical cuts to ensure even cooking and better seasoning absorption.
Place the pork belly, skin side up and uncovered, in the fridge for 48 hours to dry out the skin for perfect, crispy crackling.
You can season the pork belly before or after refrigerating, but keep any seasoning off the skin.
Place the fuel basket divider in your Kamado Joe and fill one side with fuel. Ignite it, place a deflector plate over the empty side, and add your cooking grates on top.
Create a support to lean the pork belly directly over the heat source at an angle. This helps fat and oil run down, reducing flare-ups and allowing you to monitor the crackling as it forms.
Close the lid and get the Kamado Joe running at 250°C.
Place the pork belly meat side down on the support and close the lid for 10 minutes to dry the skin further.
Brush olive oil over the skin and sprinkle with high-quality salt. Flip the belly so the skin is directly over the fuel, partially closing the lid, leaving a 2cm gap to monitor the crackling.
Open the lid periodically to rotate the pork belly, preventing any areas from burning and achieving uniform crackling.
Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the pork belly reaches 85°C. Reposition the support over the deflector plate for an indirect cook.
Let the pork rest for 10-15 minutes.
Flip the pork belly over and use a large sharp knife to make the cuts, keeping the crackling intact as much as possible.
Enjoy your perfectly crispy and juicy pork belly, and don’t forget to check out Pitmaster University on YouTube for more BBQ inspiration!
Thank you for trying out this recipe! I hope it brings joy and flavour to your table. For more delicious recipes and BBQ tips, visit Smoke & Sear. Happy grilling! Cheers, Lee.