Session 110 — Belly: Pan-Crispy, No 5-Hour Braise
← Block 21–22: Pork & Charcuterie Overview
Skill: Pork belly doesn't always require hours of cooking. Sliced pork belly (about ½ inch thick from your butcher) pan-seared in its own fat until crispy and rendered — this is the basis for guanciale, pancetta, and bacon-adjacent flavor without the cure. A learning cook this week.
- Cut into lardons (1cm x 4cm batons). Render slowly in a dry pan (no oil). Let the fat render out. Finish high heat for the crust.
Full Meal: Crispy pork belly lardons over white beans and wilted Swiss chard + Garlic-Rubbed Grilled Bread — char a thick slice, rub raw garlic across the surface while hot
🎥 Compare Notes: Siu Yuk: Chinese Crispy Roast Pork Belly — Chinese Cooking Demystified — Hong Kong cha chaan teng–style crispy pork belly. Compare the skin blistering technique and how they render the fat layer.