Coffee Glazed Pork Belly

Looking for the perfect recipe for slow braised pork belly? This amazing coffee glazed snack, heightened with juniper berries and black pepper is outstanding. It does take some time, to prepare correctly to get the perfect texture, but it doesn’t require you to be a trained chef to do it.

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Coffee Glazed Pork Belly

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Ingredients

• 1lb Pork Belly, skin scored 
• 1 Tbsp Oil

Curing Mixture

• 2 Tbsp Salt
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Black Peppercorns, slightly crushed
• 1 tsp Juniper Berries, slightly crushed

Braising Liquid

• 1 Carrot, medium dice
• 1 Celery Rib, medium dice
• 1 Onion, medium dice
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1/2 tsp Chili Flakes
• 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
• 2 cups Stock, Chicken or Vegetable
• 1 Cup Apple Juice

Coffee Glaze

• Leftover Braising Liquid, strained
• 1 Cup Strong Brew Coffee
• 1 tsp Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp Honey

Instructions

Score the skin of the pork belly by slicing just through the top of the skin in one direction in parallel lines, then diagonal to those lines again. Crisscross action.

Cure the Pork Belly

1. Mix the curing ingredients well and coat the pork belly well.
2. Cover and set in fridge for 9 hours to overnight.
3. When ready to cook, wipe off the pork belly of any large bits.

Braising the Pork Belly

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F
2. Heat a large ovenproof pan on medium high heat, add 1 Tbsp Oil.
3. Sear the pork belly on all sides, then remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, chili flakes and fennel seeds. Sauté for 5 minutes.
5. Add Stock and apple juice, scrape all the bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Put pork belly back into pan, skin side up. Cover the pan with foil or a lid and place in oven for 3 hours.
7. Remove pan from oven, carefully remove pork belly and set aside. *See Note

Glaze

1. Strain the liquid into a sauce pot and turn on medium high heat and reduce to 1/2 cup.
2. Add 1 cup of strong brewed coffee and reduce again to 1 cup of liquid.
3. Turn heat to medium and add Cider Vinegar and Honey, heat until thick, (coats the back of a spoon) remove from heat.

To Finish

1. Place pork belly on a parchment covered sheet pan and glaze with sauce.
2. Place back into the oven for 5 minutes, glaze again, let bake for 5 more minutes.
3. Serve Hot.

Notes

*You can do this step ahead of time and put pork belly into the fridge until ready to use

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 3801mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 17gProtein: 31g

We are not certified nutritionists and make no claims to be so. The nutritional information given here is intended for informational purposes only. These nutritional calculations are rounded numbers dependant on the certain ingredients and amounts in the recipe and are by no means perfect.

Ingredients

• Pork Belly, skin scored 
• Salt, Brown Sugar, Black Peppercorns
• Juniper Berries, slightly crushed
• Carrot, Celery, Onion, Garlic
• Thyme, Chili Flakes, Fennel Seeds
• Stock, Chicken or Vegetable
• Apple Juice
• Strong Brew Coffee
• Cider Vinegar
• Honey

How do I make perfectly cooked pork belly?

1. SCORE Scoring the skin of the pork belly ensures a perfectly cooked crispy skin, that is easy to eat. Score the skin of the pork belly by slicing just through the top of the skin in one direction in parallel lines, then diagonal to those lines again. Crisscross action.
2. CURE Mix the curing ingredients and coat the pork belly well. The curing will make sure there is a subtle flavour in the pork, as well it helps keep the belly moist through the cooking process. The curing is not totally necessary if you do not have time, but does make a nice difference in texture and flavour. Cover and set in fridge for 9 hours to overnight. When ready to cook, wipe off the pork belly of any large bits.
3. BRAISE Sear the pork belly on all sides, then remove from pan and set aside. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, chili flakes and fennel seeds. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add Stock and apple juice, scrape all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Put pork belly back into the pan, skin side up. Cover the pan with foil or a lid and place in oven for 3 hours.
   **You can do this step a day or two ahead of time. Strain out of liquid and place in the fridge until ready to reheat. It also helps if you want to cut it into smaller pieces when it is cold.**
4. GLAZE Strain the liquid into a sauce pot and turn on medium high heat and reduce to 1/2 cup. Add 1 cup of strong brewed coffee and reduce again to 1 cup of liquid. Turn heat to medium and add Cider Vinegar and Honey, heat until thick, (coats the back of a spoon) remove from heat. Place the pork belly on a parchment covered sheet pan and glaze with sauce. Place back into the oven for 5 minutes, glaze again, let bake for 5 more minutes. Careful that it does not burn, the sugar in this recipe burns quickly, so watch the belly close.