Sticky Pork Belly with Pineapple and Soy Sauce

Sticky pork belly with pineapple and soy sauce twice cooked to create a delicious sweet, sour & salty dish with Anglo-Chinese influences.

The first phase of cooking involves simmering the pork in water, then it is simmered in honey, soy, chilli and vinegar. So whilst this dish takes a while to cook it is really easy!

Twice Cooked Pork Belly with Chinese Influences

You will find pineapple appearing in all sorts of savoury recipes here on Krumpli. Although I must point out that it will never appear on Pizza… just don’t tell my wife!

It is particularly good with pork, whether that be my sweet and sour pork chops, my sideways look at a gammon salad or pork and pineapple filled lettuce wraps.

I even use it in a fruity pineapple and chicken curry!

This pork belly recipe features wonderfully fatty pork belly and uses pretty classic Chinese techniques and combines them with very western takeaway sticky sweet and sour flavour combinations.

The twice-cooked pork method is pretty common in Chinese food, particularly with pork belly.

It is often said that this is to remove impurities from the meat… which sounds, let’s face it frightening! However, by impurities, it means pulling off some of the protein and blood deposits.

They are not bad for you, it is just what it is. However, by cooking twice you are removing them and not adding them into the braising liquid which leads to a crystal clear shiny glaze.

If you are looking for other braised pork belly recipes then you must check out my Indonesian influenced babi chin, Korean influenced pork belly or Vietnamese pork belly recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chinkiang vinegar?

Chinkiang is Chinese black rice vinegar, it has a deep rich almost smoky flavour that is far more complex than white rice vinegar.

I use it in lots of my Chinese-inspired recipes, particularly sweet and sour recipes. You can sub for regular rice vinegar but the flavour profile will change a lot.

Can I use fresh pineapple?

Yes absolutely, it works wonderfully. But I cook for two and a whole pineapple leads to lots of leftovers and I only use it if I have plan to use it up in the short term.

Should I use tinned pineapple in syrup or juice?

Use pineapple in natural juice rather than syrup. I personally thing that is pretty sage advice for all cooking, particularly savoury cooking!

Can I omit the dried chilli?

Yes, this recipe works just as well sans chilli, if spice is an issue you should scale black the black pepper too!

I’m a bit of a fiend for spice, but I am aware not everyone is.

Serving Suggestions

I almost always serve this twice-cooked sticky pork belly recipe with rice of some description.

It is pictured here with plain steamed rice, but it would be great with egg-fried rice too.

But it would work well with stir fried broccoli or an asparagus stir fry the veggies make a nice lighter note for this met dominated recipe.

This quickly-cooked Asian Cabbage recipe would also be a good option.

If you wanted to rock something a little lighter, then this papaya salad or cucumber salad would both be good shouts!

Equipment Used

I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they will make a material difference toa recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Stovetop.
• 33-35cm (13-14″) skillet or frying pan.
• 20cm (8″) nonstick frying pan.
• Chopping board.
• Sharp kitchen knife.
• Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
• Sieve or colander.
• Kitchen paper.