“Either you like bacon or you are wrong! Confit pork belly can be even better than bacon.”
What is Confit?
Confit is a French cooking method meaning to “preserve.” Historically, meats were salted in brine and submerged in fat like lard at low temperatures for extended periods. This rendered meat incredibly moist and flavorful while enabling storage in cool conditions for months.
What is Pork Belly?
Pork belly comes from the same cut as bacon but remains uncured and unsmoked with skin intact. Unlike bacon, it features abundant fat that becomes meltingly tender when properly prepared. The meat achieves a fall-apart quality with correctly cooked pork belly.
Ingredients
- Pork belly, uncured, skin on
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 6 cups lard
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice (optional)
Instructions
Brining
Create a 2% salt brine by weight. Submerge pork belly with aromatics overnight in refrigeration (10-12 hours minimum). Rinse and pat dry afterward.
Confiting
Completely submerge pork belly in lard. Cover and cook in a 200F oven for 4-6 hours until meat feels soft with slight resistance.
Cooling
Allow to cool naturally, then refrigerate. Optionally compress with weighted plate to remove excess fat and improve meat-fat layers.
Serving
Remove from lard, wipe clean, and discard pork skin. Score fat in crosshatch pattern. Cut into cubes. Sear fat-side-down in cast iron skillet at medium-low heat for 18 minutes until browned. Transfer to 350F oven for 10 minutes. Finish with salt and optional Five Spice.
Serves: 6 | Prep Time: 60 minutes | Cook Time: 180+ minutes