Pork Belly — Skin-On Slab & Cuts

Sits below the loin primal on the underside of the carcass. The boundary with the loin is established by a straight horizontal cut through the ribcage — the height of this cut determines how many rib-end bones (buttons) remain on the belly versus on the loin. The belly runs from the shoulder-belly junction anteriorly to the hip posteriorly. The ventral midline (where the two sides of the belly join in the live animal) is the thinnest point.

1. 1Korean samgyeopsal (skin-off, thick-sliced): cut 8–10 mm slices against the grain; grill on a cast-iron or wire grill at high heat; 3–4 minutes per side until fat is rendered and edges are lightly charred; serve with ssamjang, garlic, perilla.
2. 2Cantonese siu yuk (crispy roast pork, skin-on): score skin deeply in a diamond pattern; dry-brine with salt overnight in the refrigerator skin-side up; roast at 375 °F (190 °C) for 40 minutes, then broil or blast at 475 °F (246 °C) for 15–20 minutes until skin is completely blistered and crackling.
3. 3Chinese red-braised (hong shao rou): cut skin-on belly into 4 cm cubes; blanch 3 minutes; sear; braise in soy, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, star anise, and cinnamon at a gentle simmer for 90 minutes until sauce is lacquered and pork is spoonable.
4. 4Japanese kakuni: cut into 6 cm blocks; simmer in water 1 hour; transfer to fresh pot with dashi, sake, mirin, soy; braise covered 60–90 minutes until chopstick-tender; reduce sauce to glaze.
5. 5Pancetta (Italian cure): rub a 2.5 kg skin-off belly slab with 3% kosher salt, 0.25% pink salt #1, black pepper, juniper, thyme, rosemary; cure refrigerated 7–10 days; rinse, roll tightly with the lean to the outside, truss every 2 cm; hang at 55 °F (13 °C) for 4–8 weeks.
6. 6Skin management: for crackling, the skin must be completely dry before high-heat roasting (air-dry uncovered in the fridge overnight minimum, or use a heat gun); any surface moisture converts to steam and prevents blistering.

• Skin-on vs. skinless: skin is removed by running a sharp knife between the rind and the outer fat layer in a single flat stroke; request skin-on from a butcher who has not pre-stripped it.
• For Korean samgyeopsal: chill the belly slab in the freezer 30 minutes before slicing to firm the fat and achieve clean uniform cuts with a sharp slicing knife.
• For Chinese block braises: cut across the width of the belly to create uniform blocks that include all fat-and-lean layers in each piece.
• Score the skin in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife or Stanley blade before any skin-on roasting — cuts should reach the fat but not penetrate the meat below.
• For pancetta or bacon: the belly must be skinless (in Europe, skin is typically left on for pancetta; in the US, skin is removed for most bacon production — specify with your butcher).
• Debone false-rib cartilage ends (riblets) from the inner face of the belly if present — they are edible but create uneven thickness in sliced applications.

• Pork shoulder (skinless)

  Higher collagen, less uniform layering; works in braises but lacks the belly's fat-to-lean laminate structure and does not produce crackling.

• Pork jowl

  Similarly high-fat with alternating fat and lean; can substitute in braises and some charcuterie applications; smaller size limits whole-slab uses.

• Duck confit legs

  For Asian braises where belly is used as a rich protein centrepiece — an unusual substitute but shares the richness and self-basting quality if pork belly is unavailable.

• Spare Ribs

  Separated from the belly at the rib line; the rib cage that was above the belly before the loin-belly cut.

• St. Louis–Style Spare Ribs

  Spare ribs trimmed of the brisket flap and sternum — the brisket flap is a belly extension, sometimes kept attached for braises.

• Pork Side / Side Pork

  North American retail term for the unsplit fresh belly slab before curing — same cut, different nomenclature.

• Guanciale

  Cured pork jowl — the traditional Italian substitute for pancetta in carbonara and amatriciana; adjacent cut, similar fat profile.

1. 1.The Food of Sichuan — Fuchsia Dunlop (W. W. Norton, 2019)
2. 2.Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing — Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn (W. W. Norton, 2005)
3. 3.Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces — Bill Kim (Ten Speed Press, 2019)
4. 4.The River Cottage Meat Book — Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Hodder & Stoughton, 2004)
5. 5.NAMP Meat Buyer's Guide, 8th ed. — North American Meat Processors Association (2010)
6. 6.Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China — Fuchsia Dunlop (W. W. Norton, 2016)

Confidence: high