Lemon-Infused Pork Belly Roasted in the Oven
No More Greasy Splatter! Oven-Roasted Lemon Pork Belly, Easy and Delicious
Costco pork belly is fresh and delicious, but it’s often cut too thick. Grilling it in a pan takes a long time, releases a ton of grease, and splatters everywhere, making a mess of your stovetop and surrounding areas. But we can’t give up on delicious pork belly, right? ^^;;; Seeing how people cook pork belly in air fryers inspired me to try it in the oven, and guess what? It works wonderfully! Yay! Now you can enjoy moist and flavorful pork belly without the greasy hassle.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Pork Belly
- 2 large Lemons
- 30 cloves whole Garlic
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup (approx. 60ml) Cooking Wine (like Sake, Soju, or Vodka)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, preheat your oven to 425°F (approximately 220°C). While the oven is preheating, heat a frying pan over medium-high heat on your stovetop until it’s nice and hot. Once the pan is sufficiently heated, cut the pork belly into pieces about half to one-third its original length and place them in the pan. (Cutting them beforehand makes them easier to handle and ensures they fit well, and you’ll be cutting them into bite-sized pieces later anyway. It’s crucial to place the pork belly in a hot pan to achieve a good sear.)
Step 2
After placing the pork belly in the hot pan, while the stovetop burner is still on, generously scatter the whole garlic cloves over and around the pork belly, filling up the spaces. The garlic not only helps to neutralize any pork odor but also becomes incredibly delicious when roasted alongside the pork!
Step 3
The pork belly will already be starting to cook while you’re arranging the garlic. Don’t worry about it; just proceed quickly to the next step.
Step 4
Slice the lemons into rounds and arrange them evenly over the pork belly and garlic. Pour about 1/4 cup of your chosen cooking wine (Sake, Soju, Vodka, etc.) over everything. With all ingredients in place, carefully transfer the pan directly into the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes.
Step 5
After 20 minutes, carefully remove the pan from the oven. The lemons might look slightly shriveled, but the pork belly should be visibly cooking. At this point, you can flip the pork belly pieces and re-cover them with the lemon slices. Alternatively, you can cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces (about 1-inch or 2-3 cm) and then either place the lemon slices back on top, or toss all the ingredients – cut pork belly, lemon slices, and garlic – together in the pan.
Step 6
For quicker cooking, I chose to cut the pork belly into smaller pieces in the previous step and then mixed everything thoroughly. I then returned the pan to the oven for an additional 20 minutes. Costco pork belly can vary in thickness, and the batch I had this time was particularly thick, so it took a little longer than usual. If you’re concerned about burning, feel free to check on the pork periodically through the oven door and adjust the cooking time accordingly. If you prefer your pork belly crispier, you can leave it in the oven for a little longer.
