Braised Pork Belly Recipe

Prepare and season

Pat pork belly pieces dry with paper towels. Season all sides evenly with 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Let rest 15 minutes at room temperature while you prep aromatics.

Brown the pork

Heat a large heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and warm until shimmering. Working in batches if needed, add pork belly pieces and sear until deeply browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer seared pieces to a plate.

Sauté aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add smashed garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Deglaze and build braising liquid

Pour in 1 cup dry white wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce by about half, 3–4 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken stock, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp brown sugar (if using), thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves. Stir to combine.

Braise

Return pork belly pieces to the pot, nestling them into the liquid so the liquid comes about two-thirds up the sides of the meat (do not fully submerge if you want a firmer top). Bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Cover the pot and transfer to a 300°F (150°C) oven. Braise until pork is very tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 2 to 2.5 hours.

Finish and reduce sauce

Carefully transfer the pot back to the stovetop. Remove pork to a plate and tent with foil. Skim excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid if desired. Place the pot over medium-high heat and reduce the liquid until slightly syrupy, about 8–12 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and a splash more vinegar if needed. Return pork to the sauce to coat and warm for 2 minutes before plating.

Combine lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified.

In a large bowl toss thinly sliced fennel, julienned apple, shredded red cabbage, and thinly sliced red onion. Add chopped fennel fronds.

Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning (add a touch more lemon or honey to balance acidity). Let the slaw sit 10–15 minutes at room temperature so flavors meld before serving.

Make Calabrian honey: in a small bowl stir together 2 tbsp runny honey and 1 tsp Calabrian chili paste (or 1 tsp chili oil). Taste and adjust heat/honey ratio to preference.

To plate: spoon a portion of apple and fennel slaw onto each plate. Place 2–3 pieces of braised pork belly alongside or atop the slaw. Drizzle reduced braising sauce lightly over the pork. Finish with a thin ribbon or drizzle of Calabrian honey over the pork belly, and scatter parsley or microgreens for color. If desired, spoon a little extra reduced braising jus around the plate.

Serve immediately while pork is warm and slaw is cool-crisp.