Crispy Sous Vide Pork Belly Bites with Ginger Soy Glaze

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Melt-in-your-mouth pork belly texture on the inside and crispy on the outside.
• This recipe takes time but most of it requires little work!
• They have a flavor that is stunning!
• Can be served as an appetizer or main course over rice.

Why Cook Pork Belly Sous Vide

This is the best cooking method to ensure the pork belly stays tender and juicy and doesn’t dry out. One great thing about the sous vide process is that the cooking method is hands off and the pork belly cooks overnight at the exact perfect temperature that you want. No need to cook at a high temperature because the long cooking time will perfectly cook the pork belly. Although the cook time is longer, since it is hands off and very easy to do, it is well worth the time for the amazing melt in your mouth texture of the finished pork belly bites.

Recommended combination of time and temperatures for pork belly vary from 150°F-170°F based on the texture desired. Lower temperatures result in a more steak-like texture while higher temperatures result in a softer more melt-in-your-mouth delicious pork belly texture. We landed on 165°F for 18-20 hours for this pork belly recipe for a good balance between tender juicy meat that holds its shape and texture a bit better. This comes down to personal preference, so you can experiment with different temps and times until you land on exactly what you prefer.

The tender center of the sous vide pork belly bites contrasts with the crispy exterior, which is achieved by coating the cooked pork belly with corn starch and shallow frying it.

If you haven't tried cooking sous vide before, read more about it in this post HERE.

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make this recipe:

• Pork Belly: A slab (approximately 1.5 lbs) is cooked whole sous vide, then cut into small bite-sized chunks and fried. We have been able to find this fairly easily at grocery stores, and even Costco.
• Kosher Salt: Used to season the pork belly before sous vide
• Black Pepper: Used with the salt on the pork belly
• Corn Starch: This helps give the pork belly bites a nice crispy texture
• Cooking Oil: We use grapeseed or avocado oil to fry the pork belly bites.
• Ginger: Minced ginger is one of the stars of the glaze, the flavor is amazing.
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce: The saltiness and flavor of soy sauce is a perfect addition.
• Honey: Honey lends the sweetness and stickiness to the glaze.
• Rice Vinegar: For balance, a small amount of rice vinegar is used.
• Hoisin Sauce: This flavorful Chinese sauce is readily available at most grocery stores and a good addition to the glaze because of its thick texture with sweet and umami flavors.  
• Sesame Oil: We prefer the deep flavor of toasted sesame oil, and just a little goes a long way
• Chili Garlic Sauce: This prepared ingredient is easy to find and gives a little heat to the glaze
• Cucumber: Paper thin slices for garnish if desired
• Green Onion: Also for garnish 
• Sesame Seeds: Toasted sesame seeds are a nice optional addition sprinkled on the. 

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Chili Garlic Sauce: Sambal olek is the best substitute here, but sriracha can also be used as a substitute
• Pork Belly: This glaze can be used on pork chops, chicken, shrimp, or really anything you desire.

How to Make Sous Vide Pork Belly Bites

Although the pork belly is in the water bath for a long time, it requires no attention until it is done. Then the belly is cut into bite sized pieces and dusted with corn starch. After a strong fry in oil, the crispy pork belly bites are briefly mixed into the hot glaze and served!

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this dish

• A large pot or sous vide container for the water bath
• A sous vide immersion circulator wand
• A vacuum sealer (optional but recommended)
• A vacuum sealable bag (the food-saver style vacuum bag is optional but recommended) or use a ziplock plastic bag
• A wok (or large high sided frying pan or cast iron skillet) to fry the bites and also coat them in the glaze
• A medium saucepan to make the glaze
• Instant read thermometer to tell when the oil is ready

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare and Sous Vide the Pork Belly

• The day before you plan to enjoy the pork belly bites, bring your sous vide water bath to 165°F. Dry the pork belly with paper towels and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Seal in a sous vide vacuum-sealed bag (or zip lock plastic bag removing as much air as possible) and place in the container or pot of water with the sous vide circulator overnight for 18 to 20 hours. 

Make the glaze

• About 30 minutes to an hour before the pork belly is done, start making the glaze. Whisk the ginger, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and the chili garlic sauce together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 6-8 minutes. The sauce should become thicker but it won’t be extremely thick yet. Set aside. 

Cut and Fry the Pork Belly bites

• In the wok/large frying pan, add the oil and heat over medium high heat. Transfer pork belly from the sous vide bath and vacuum sealed bag to a cutting board and let cool enough to handle. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Place the bites into a bowl and sprinkle with half of the cornstarch. Mix then add the rest until each piece is completely coated.
• Once the oil temperature reaches 375°F, start frying the pork belly bites in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes for each batch until they are nice and crispy on the outside. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Once all of the pork belly bites are done, clean out the wok/frying pan.

Glaze and Plate the Pork Belly

• Heat the clean wok/frying pan over high heat. Add the glaze. Once the glaze is boiling, add all of the pork belly bites and turn the heat off. Gently stir and coat the bites completely for about 20 seconds. Remove them from the wok and serve as intended with thinly sliced cucumber ribbons, toasted sesame seeds and green onions, or serve over rice.

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:

• Try making chicken wings with this sauce!
• For pork belly fanatics, simply cut the pork belly into 4 large pieces when it is done and proceed, serving them like steaks for a larger portioned meal.

Alternative Oven-Roasted Cooking Method

This can be made in the oven and it will still be delicious, but the sous vide technique for cooking pork belly will result in more tender and juicy pork belly bites.

• For the oven method, preheat your oven to 375°F. Place the pork belly fat side down in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet and place in the hot oven. After 30 minutes, turn the pork belly over and allow it to cook for another 45 minutes. Once done, you can cut it into bites and toss it in the glaze to serve.

Storage

How to store leftover pork belly bites:

• The pork belly bites will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How to reheat leftover pork belly bites:

• The oven is the best way to reheat these. 325°F until they are warmed through is all you need to do. You can also add them to a skillet over low heat until heated through.

Can you freeze the leftover pork belly bites?

Yes, they will be fine for 3-4 months in the freezer.

Troubleshooting

If your glaze seems thin, keep reducing over medium to medium-high heat. It shouldn’t be super thick, though, as it is just meant to coat the bites, but it should be thick enough that it sticks to the bites.

What to serve with Sous Vide Pork Belly Bites

Our favorite thing to serve is a fragrant spiced jasmine rice and a green vegetable. You can mix a bit of the extra glaze into the rice and it is delicious!

What To Drink with Sous Vide Pork Belly

We like several options here. If you like wine, a white that isn’t big and bold works the best. So viognier, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, and gewürztraminer are great choices. But a crisp lager beer is also spectacular. If you enjoy sake, we love a nice Junmai. Finally, green tea is fantastic with these pork belly bites!