Going to try this recipe this weekend:
They use 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (about 27 grams carbs, I think) over 3 pounds of meat, and some of it appears to come off. In the show, they also have a mustard sauce, which also uses brown sugar. For that, I’ll replace some of the brown sugar with Swerve. But for the meat, I think I’ll use what they used. I don’t think I’ll be eating 3 pounds of pork belly. We’ll see.
They also use vegetable oil, but I’m going to use lard instead.
I’ll report back.
I don’t use the sugars but I still get crispies. Coat in salt and refrigerate for a day or two. The salt will draw some moisture out. Rinse well. Season heavily with garlic salt and pepper. Then roast as desired. I toss mine in the smoker. The salts help dry the exterior and the heat can crisp up the fats.
I sure do live some pork bellies.
They tried this, and I’ve tried this, and it doesn’t get that crispy. Or at least I couldn’t get it crispy in my oven. I could put it in my smoker/grill, but I was trying to avoid that. Especially since the cooking time is 3-3.5 hours and a lot of fat comes off the pork, leading to fire possibility in the smoker/grill that I have (bottom of grill has the coals).
That’s why the frying in its own oil works, according to them: the oil is directly in contact with the fat, and helps to push out the water and get the skin crispier.
And I don’t have to use the sugar, but I think it’ll add something. I’m also a big believer in trying the recipe once as it’s written, and only then making adjustments. And for 10 grams per pound of pork belly (and a lot of that actually won’t be on the belly and will end up in the oil), I don’t think it’s a big deal.
