Pork Belly© Randal Oulton
The Pork Belly is a Primal Cut on the pig just below the loin. It is 15% of the pork carcass weight.
It is largely fat, but it does have streaks of meat in it.
The belly is removed from the pig, cured in brine and refrigerated.
The spareribs are in the pork belly. Pork belly cuts, however, are always sold boneless, because the spareribs are more valuable taken out and sold on their own.
Cuts from the pork belly are: American or Streaky Bacon, Centre-Cut Pork Belly, and Spareribs. Items such as Lardons, Pancetta and Ventrèche are also made from here.
Some pork belly cuts can also be sold as roasts, which are usually stuffed and rolled.
Cooking Tips
For a pork belly roast, roast at 160 C / 325 F / Gas Mark 3. Allow 1 hour and 45 minutes for the first 900g (2 pounds), then 30 minutes per extra 450g (pound) on top on that.
You can buy it in small pieces, which are ideal for chopping up and incorporating into baked beans, braised cabbage, lentil dishes, etc.
Nutrition
Nutritional information (particularly sodium, etc) may vary by brand. The following are from Sofina Foods brand, Canada, in 2013.
 |
|
Amount
|
| Calories | |
490
|
| Fat | |
42 g
|
| Saturated | |
10 g
|
| Trans | |
0 g
|
| Cholesterol | |
70 mg
|
| Carbohydrate | |
0 g
|
| Fibre | |
0 g
|
| Sugars | |
0 g
|
| Protein | |
10 g
|
Language Notes
Also known as Flank Pork and Draft Pork.