30-Min Crispy Pork Belly Thai-Style
No more tedious hours of prep, this crispy pork belly needs just 30 minutes, and the result is freakishly good.
- 1 lb pork belly, skinless (see note 1)
- 1 ½ Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (see note 2)
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- Frying oil (as needed)
- Nam Jim Jeaw (optional dipping sauce)
- Pat the pork belly dry as much as possible with a paper towel, then remove the skin with a sharp knife, leaving as much of the fat on it as possible (unless you want to remove some of the fat).
- Cut the pork into 1-inch wide strips, and then cut each strip into pieces about ¾-inch thick. (The pork will shrink after frying so the final pieces will be smaller).
- Place the pork into a large mixing bowl and add the fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Use your hand to massage the pork and mix all the seasonings. Keep massaging for a minute or so until you no longer feel the grains of sugar, and there is no more fish sauce pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and the cornstarch and mix well. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pork and mix well, making sure none of the pieces are sticking together. You want a light and even coating on all the pieces. Let it sit for 5 mins or so while you heat up the oil.
- Add at least 1 inch of frying oil to a wok or a medium pot and heat it to 350°F (175°C) for the first fry.
- First Fry: Add half of the pork, placing it in the hot oil one piece at a time to ensure they are not sticking together. Fry for 2 minutes (time this). Maintain the heat of the oil between 300-350°F during the frying; on my electric stove I keep it on medium high, but it will vary from stove to stove.
- Remove the pork promptly and place on a plate to cool until it’s no more than lukewarm before frying them a second time. Repeat with the second batch, being sure to bring the oil temp back up to 350°F before frying.
- Second Fry: Once the pork is cool, bring the oil temp up to 385°F(196°C) over high heat. Add the pork all at once and fry for 70-90 seconds, or until the exterior is a deep golden brown. You can fry them for a maximum of 2 minutes; beyond this the pork will become too dry. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Be sure to bring the temp back up to 385°F before frying the second batch.
- Allow the pork to cool for a few minutes before digging in as the fatty part of the pork is VERY hot out of the fryer!!
Double fried for a crisp crust, and fish sauce adds umami magic. Cut the pork into 1-inch wide strips, and then cut each strip into pieces about ¾-inch thick. (The pork will shrink after frying so the final pieces will be smaller).
Place the pork into a large mixing bowl and add the fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Use your hand to massage the pork and mix all the seasonings.
Keep massaging for a minute or so until you no longer feel the grains of sugar, and there is no more fish sauce pooling at the bottom of the bowl. In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and the cornstarch and mix well. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pork and mix well, making sure none of the pieces are sticking together.
You want a light and even coating on all the pieces. Let it sit for 5 mins or so while you heat up the oil.
Add at least 1 inch of frying oil to a wok or a medium pot and heat it to 350°F (175°C) for the first fry. First Fry: Add half of the pork, placing it in the hot oil one piece at a time to ensure they are not sticking together.
Maintain the heat of the oil between 300-350°F during the frying; on my electric stove I keep it on medium high, but it will vary from stove to stove. Remove the pork promptly and place on a plate to cool until it’s no more than lukewarm before frying them a second time.
Repeat with the second batch, being sure to bring the oil temp back up to 350°F before frying. Second Fry: Once the pork is cool, bring the oil temp up to 385°F(196°C) over high heat. Add the pork all at once and fry for 70-90 seconds, or until the exterior is a deep golden brown.
You can fry them for a maximum of 2 minutes; beyond this the pork will become too dry. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Be sure to bring the temp back up to 385°F before frying the second batch. Allow the pork to cool for a few minutes before digging in as the fatty part of the pork is VERY hot out of the fryer!!
