Fresh (uncured) pork belly is a rich, fatty slab prized for slow roasting and braising. It’s the same cut that becomes bacon, but cooked fresh for crackling-topped roasts and dishes like porchetta and samgyeopsal.
Where Pork Belly Comes From
The belly is the boneless underside of the pig, below the loin — almost entirely layered fat and meat.
How to Cook Pork Belly
- Slow roasting: render the fat, then blast for crackling
- Braising: until silky and tender
- Grilling: sliced thin, Korean-style
- Curing: into pancetta or bacon
Pork Belly is part of the pork belly primal. Find a farm selling pasture-raised pork near you.
How to Cook It
Best methods for this cut: Roasting, Braising. Browse all recipes & guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between pork belly and bacon?
Bacon is cured and smoked pork belly. Fresh pork belly is the same cut cooked uncured — roasted, braised, or grilled.
How do you get crispy pork belly skin?
Dry the skin well, score it, salt it, and roast low to render the fat before blasting high heat for crackling.
What dishes use pork belly?
Roast pork belly, porchetta, Korean samgyeopsal, braised pork belly, and homemade bacon.
Try this recipe: Crispy Roast Pork Belly