Name: Twice-Cooked Pork Belly recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 250 min
Total time: 280 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 kg pork belly whole; 6 star anises; 2 onions peeled sliced; 1 tsp sea salt; 3 tbs vegetable oil; 1 cup water; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 250.00 ml chicken stock (liquid); 1/3 cup red wine vinegar; 1/2 cinnamon stick; 1 orange juiced; 3 strips orange rind

by Kali Moschos Last updated on 05/02/2025

Pork belly has a lovely texture and is delicious especially when cooked slowly. The sweet, gentle aroma of the star anise goes wonderfully well with the pork belly. The pork skin is crisp and melts in your mouth.

- Kali Moschos

Ingredients

1 kg pork belly whole
6 star anises
2 onions peeled sliced
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 cup water

Sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chicken stock (liquid)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 orange juiced
3 strips orange rind

Method

Step 1

Score the skin of the pork belly with a very sharp knife.
Step 2

Rub oil over pork belly.
Step 3

Rub sea salt into the pork skin and set aside for a few minutes.
Step 4

Preheat oven to 250C.
Step 5

In a deep roasting pan, place the onion, star anise and approximately 1 cup of water.
Step 6

Place pork belly onto a wire rack which fits into the roasting pan and place over onion and star anise mixture.
Step 7

Cook for 30 minutes.
Step 8

Reduce the oven temperature to 150C and slow cook for 2 hours. Remove from oven. Do not baste the pork during cooking.
Step 9

Reserve pan juices, fat skimmed off. Set onions aside for serving. Reserve star anise.
Step 10

When ready to serve, place into oven at 160C and cook for 1 hour.
Step 11

During the last 10 minutes, increase temperature to 220C and place pork near the top of the oven, so that the skin browns and crisps. Do not allow to burn.
Step 12

Sauce: In a small saucepan, place sugar, vinegar, reserved star anise, cinnamon and pan juices.
Step 13

Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until syrupy.
Step 14

Stir in chicken stock and simmer for another 5 minutes or until slightly reduced.
Step 15

Add the orange juice and peel, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until syrupy.
Step 16

Season to taste.