Philly Pork Belly Recipe

Trim and score

Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels. If the skin is on, remove it for this sandwich style. Trim to an even thickness if needed and score the fat lightly in a crosshatch about 1/8" deep to help render.

Make marinade

In a bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Whisk until sugar mostly dissolves.

Marinate

Place pork belly in a shallow dish or resealable bag and pour marinade over, turning to coat. Marinate at least 2 hours or preferably overnight in the refrigerator, turning once.

Roast (low and slow)

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Remove pork from fridge 30 minutes before roasting. Place pork belly on a rack in a roasting pan lined with foil (marinade reserved). Roast for 2 hours, basting once or twice with reserved marinade, until the fat has rendered and meat is very tender.

Finish high heat or sear

Increase oven to 230°C (450°F) or heat a heavy skillet over medium-high. If using oven, return pork to the rack and roast 10–15 minutes until edges caramelize and exterior browns. If using skillet, slice pork into 1/2" thick slabs and sear fat-side down 2–3 minutes to crisp. Watch closely to avoid burning.

Rest and slice

Transfer pork belly to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Slice across the grain into sandwich-sized pieces about 1/4–1/2" thick. Reserve any pan juices to drizzle if desired.

Quick-pickle onions

Place thinly sliced red onion in a small bowl. Whisk rice vinegar, water, sugar and salt until dissolved. Pour over onions, press down to submerge, and let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes (can refrigerate up to 2 hours).

Make quick slaw

In a mixing bowl combine shredded cabbage, julienned carrot, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and black pepper. Toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Mix in chopped pickled onion (reserve a few slices for topping).

Toast buns

Butter cut sides of hoagie rolls or brioche lightly. Toast in a skillet over medium heat or under a broiler until golden and crisp, about 1–2 minutes per side.

Optional finishing sauce

Stir together hoisin, Sriracha and a teaspoon of water to make a slightly loose sauce. Adjust heat and sweetness to taste.

Assemble sandwiches

Spread a thin layer of the finishing sauce (or hoisin alone) on the bun bottom. Place 1–2 slices of warm pork belly on each bun (about 150–200g cooked pork total per sandwich depending on thickness). Top with a slice of provolone; if you want it melted, place assembled open sandwiches briefly under a broiler or in a hot skillet just until cheese softens. Pile on the quick slaw and a few pickled onion slices. Sprinkle chopped cilantro or parsley and squeeze lime if using. Close buns and serve immediately.

If you have extra pork belly, store cooled slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet to re-crisp fat. Slaw keeps 1–2 days; pickles up to 48 hours for best texture.