Slow-Cooked Maple Pork Belly


Mains / Easter / Pork / Spring

slow-cooked-maple-pork-belly
4 portions

Ingredients

For the pork belly:

  • 50g maple sugar
  • 50g salt
  • 1kg pork belly
  • 1l chicken stock
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Green vegetables, to serve 

For the spicy maple sauce:

  • 150ml light soy sauce
  • 180ml pure maple syrup (preferably amber syrup for its rich taste)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp gochujang paste
  • 3 red chillies
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • Juice from the pork

Method

To make the pork belly:

  1. Mix the maple sugar and salt together. Then, in a large bowl, thoroughly rub all over the pork.
  2. Leave the meat to stand at room temperature to cure for 2 hours.
  3. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
  4. Wash the maple sugar and salt mix off the pork and thoroughly dry the meat with kitchen paper.
  5. Score the skin, being careful not to go through the flesh, then rub the pork all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  6. Put the pork in a deep roasting tin and carefully pour the stock down the side.
  7. Roast for 3 hours.
  8. Remove from the oven and pour the stock and juices from the tin into a saucepan.
  9. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C, then return the pork to the oven for 20 minutes to crisp up the crackling.  
  10. Transfer the meat to a board and leave to rest, loosely covered, for 20 minutes.
  11. Meanwhile, make the sauce.

To make the spicy maple sauce:

  1. Add the soy sauce, maple syrup and sesame oil to the saucepan with the cooking juices and bring to a boil.
  2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the gochujang, sliced chillies and crushed garlic.

    N.B. You can serve the sauce warm or cold.

Assembly:

  1. When you’re ready to serve, cut the pork into thick slices and drizzle over the sauce.
  2. Serve with steamed green vegetables and the rest of the sauce.

This pork belly recipe sees the natural richness of maple sugar added to succulent layers of roasted pork belly, producing a crispy crackling with extra crunch. Slow-cooked over the course of several hours, the recipe combines the cooking methods of an Asian classic with a sweet and spicy sauce made from pure maple syrup. 

For more delicious dishes like this slow-cooked maple pork belly, keep scrolling!

The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers are not in any way responsible for the identification or presence of allergens in recipes or for the classification of any recipe as vegetarian or vegan.

Mains Recipes

Easter Recipes

Pork Recipes

Spring Recipes

More about maple

The colour and flavour of maple syrup changes in subtle ways during the seasonal harvest

At the start of the sugaring season, the syrup is generally clear, with a light, sweet taste. It becomes darker with a caramelised flavour as the season progresses throughout the spring.

An unopened can of maple syrup keeps for many years

Once the can is opened, syrup should be kept in an airtight container in a cool place.

Maple spread doesn't contain any butter or dairy products

Like all 100% pure maple products, maple spread comes from the sap of the maple tree that’s all.

Hundreds of Delicious Recipes

Maple is a special addition to any recipe, from starters and snacks to sumptuous desserts. Find one that’s perfect for you, your family and friends.

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