How to Make Vietnamese Grilled Pork Belly
Grilled pork belly tastes great largely due to how it is marinated. The secret to marinating pork belly for grilling is shared below. Cookbeo will also share the essential ingredients for making grilled pork belly and a detailed guide on making the dipping sauce in this article.
Ingredients
- 700g pork belly
- Rock salt
- 1/5 onion
- 2 shallots, 4 garlic cloves, 1 small piece of ginger
- 1 spicy chili (optional)
- 1 lemon
- Mild chili powder
- Oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, annatto oil, sugar, ground pepper
- 1/5 onion
- 1 shallot, 2-3 garlic cloves
- Mild chili powder
- 1 chili (optional for spiciness)
- Sesame oil, peanut oil (or sesame oil, or regular cooking oil if not available)
- Ground pepper, honey, chili sauce, ketchup
- Toasted white sesame seeds
Ingredient Notes
You can also prepare additional ingredients for wrapping with grilled pork belly, such as lettuce, various herbs like perilla, cilantro, spearmint, cucumber, and kimchi. Along with that, margarine, onions, and other grilled vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, etc., can complement the meal.
Instructions
Preparing the Pork Belly
Select a whole pork belly slab, where the layers are tightly bound, making it easier to slice and ensuring beautifully grilled pieces.
Rub the pork belly with rock salt, rinse it clean, and drain. Slice the pork belly into strips about 7-8 cm long and 0.5 cm thick.
Preparing Other Ingredients
Peel the onion, clean it, and finely chop 1/4 of it. Divide the chopped onion into two portions: one for marinating the pork belly and one for making the dipping sauce. Slice the remaining onion into wedges for grilling with the pork belly.
Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic, dividing them into two portions. Clean and finely chop the ginger.
Soak and rinse the accompanying vegetables in salted water, then drain them well.
Slice the kimchi into bite-sized pieces.
Marinating the Pork Belly
There are many ways to marinate pork belly for grilling, each providing a different flavor to suit family preferences. Here, Cookbeo shares a method for marinating pork belly that ensures it's flavorful, tender, and not dry.
Marinate 700g of pork belly with half of the prepared minced shallots and garlic, all the minced ginger, half of the minced onion, 1 tablespoon mild chili powder, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon annatto oil, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
Use Korean soy sauce for a milder flavor. If using regular soy sauce, reduce the amount as it has a stronger taste.
Mix everything well and let the pork belly absorb the seasoning for at least 30 minutes.
Making the Grilled Pork Dipping Sauce
While waiting for the pork belly to marinate, prepare the dipping sauce for the grilled pork.
Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or peanut oil, or regular cooking oil). Once hot, sauté the minced onion, shallots, and garlic. Then add 1 tablespoon chili sauce, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1 tablespoon honey, 2.5 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1/4 tablespoon ground pepper, and 1 tablespoon chili powder. Adjust the amount of honey according to your taste.
Simmer this mixture over low heat, then pour it into a bowl and sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds on top.
Grilling the Pork Belly
You can grill the pork belly over a charcoal grill, in an air fryer, or on a pan. Here, Cookbeo uses a tabletop grill to ensure the meat stays hot and fragrant while being enjoyed.
First, add 1 tablespoon of margarine and 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the grill. Heat it on low until the margarine melts, then spread it evenly before placing the pork belly strips on the grill. If you have prepared other vegetables, grill them alongside the pork belly.
Once the pork belly is nicely grilled, use scissors to cut it into bite-sized pieces. Serve with lettuce, fresh herbs, kimchi, and dip it into the delicious sauce.
