Crispy Air-Fried Pork Belly with Asian Caramel Sauce

This recipe is brought to you by GreenPan. Get $10 off their new See-Thru Lid Air Fryer using code ‘MBM10OFF’ here. Valid from 5th-19th Jan 2025. Discount valid on top of sale price.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
Pork:

1kg pork belly, skin on

2 tsp five spice powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

240g sea salt (for crust)

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp neutral oil (e.g. canola)

Caramel Sauce:

280g brown sugar

80ml water

40ml red wine vinegar

2 tsp fish sauce

2 tsp soy sauce

2 whole star anise

1 small knob of ginger, peeled and sliced

Juice of ½ lime (to finish)

To Serve:

Steamed jasmine rice

Red chili, sliced

Fresh coriander

Lime wedges 

Method:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 120°C. Place the pork skin-side down on a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to make shallow cuts on the meat side. Mix the five spice powder, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, then rub it into the cuts and surface of the meat, avoiding contact with the skin.

2. Flip the pork belly so the skin is facing up. Use a sharp knife to scrape the skin to remove any moisture, then pat the skin dry with a paper towel. Score shallow cuts all over the skin using the tip of a sharp knife, ensuring you don’t pierce through to the meat.

3. Create a foil “boat” to hold the pork belly, leaving a 1.5 cm gap around the edges to catch any drippings.

4. Place the vinegar in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to lightly coat the pork skin, then over the skin with an even layer of salt. Place the pork in the air fryer and cook at 120°C for 30 minutes, or until the salt crust has dried out completely.

5. Remove the pork and discard the salt crust. Use a pastry brush to remove any excess salt and pat the skin dry again with a paper towel.

6. Brush the skin with neutral oil, then increase the air fryer temperature to 200°C. Air fry for 30–40 minutes, or until the skin is crispy. Check at the 20-minute mark and cover any burning spots with foil if needed.

7. Remove the pork belly from the air fryer and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.

8. While the pork is cooking, prepare the caramel sauce. Combine the brown sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes, or until the caramel turns golden and slightly thickened.

9. Reduce the heat to low. Carefully add the red wine vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, star anise and ginger slices. Stir to combine. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until thickened, then remove from the heat and discard the ginger and star anise. Finish with the lime juice.

10. Serve the pork belly immediately for maximum crispiness, accompanied by steamed rice, caramel sauce, chili, fresh coriander and lime wedges.