We have been like crazy sous vide-ing machines in our household, and pork belly was definitely not left out! So today on the blog I’m sharing my recipe for crispy pork belly tacos, paired with quick pickled carrots, homemade crema, and lots of fresh cilantro!

Tacos are pretty much my favorite food ever. For example, when it comes to that whole “what’s the one food you couldn’t live without?” question, it’s pretty much between tacos and chocolate. Chocolate tacos? Hmm…

These tacos. THESE tacos! We once again whipped out our Anova sous vide machine, this time for use with a beautiful piece of pork belly from our local Asian market. I’ve discovered a new Asian mart nearby that just opened last year. I absolutely love it for so many reasons, but the two most important are 1) I can find all types of meat there that aren’t always available at normal grocery stores, and 2) their selection of frozen dumplings is out of this world. For serious: if you want pre-made frozen dumplings that are actually super tasty, find a local Asian mart and check out the freezer section. I’m so hooked!

Related: Perfect Grilled Steaks with Cherry Tomato Salad

To pair with these crispy pork belly tacos, I made quick pickled carrots (seriously quick pickling is the bomb dot com, you guys) and homemade crema. They are also topped with lots of fresh cilantro, of course! These tacos are definitely going to be up on the weeknight meal menu multiple times this summer… I can’t get enough of them!

Now it’s your turn? What is your “can’t live without it” food choice? Share with me by commenting below!

Crispy Pork Belly Tacos

2016-04-11 19:40:03

Serves 4

These crispy pork belly tacos feature quick pickled carrots, smashed avocado, fresh homemade crema, and queso fresco.

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Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

16 hr

Total Time

16 hr 30 min

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

16 hr

Total Time

16 hr 30 min

For pork belly

1. ¼ cup hoisin sauce
2. 1 tbsp. minced garlic
3. 1 tbsp. minced ginger
4. 2-3 splashes fish sauce
5. 1 ½ lb. pork belly, skin removed

For pickled carrots

1. 1 large carrot, cut into 2" julienne
2. ½ cup water
3. ½ cup white vinegar
4. 1 tbsp. white sugar
5. 1 tbsp. kosher salt
6. 2 tsp. black peppercorns
7. 1 tsp. mustard seeds
8. 1 tsp. coriander seeds
9. 12 small tortillas
10. 6 avocados, halved and pit removed
11. 8 oz. queso fresco, crumbled
12. ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
13. ¼ cup crema (click for directions)
14. Lime wedges (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce in a small bowl.
2. Pat the pork belly dry on all sides. Rub olive oil, salt, and pepper on both sides. Place in a vacuum-sealed bag. Add the prepared sauce to the bag, slathering it so that it coats the entire surface of the pork belly. Seal bag.
3. Using sous vide machine, cook pork belly for 16 hours at 158 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. (At this point, the pork belly in the vacuum-sealed bag can be placed in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours prior to finishing the recipe. If you decide to refrigerate, bring the meat back up to temperature using the sous vide machine again at 158 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.)
5. When pork belly is almost finished cooking, prepare the toppings. For pickled carrots, add carrots to a pint-sized mason jar. In a medium saucepan, combine water, vinegar, salt, sugar, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Pour hot liquid over the carrots and cover jar with lid. Allow mixture to cool in the refrigerator before serving.
6. Preheat broiler to high heat.
7. Remove pork belly from vacuum-sealed bag and pat dry. Place on a baking sheet and cook under the broiler until crispy. Watch closely: depending on the set up of your broiler, you may need to move the baking sheet around to ensure each section of the pork belly is crisped. It should be a beautiful dark golden brown, charred in a few places if desired but not burned. Once crispy, flip the pork belly over and repeat this process on the other side. Remove pork belly from oven and slice.
8. Char tortillas over open flame until crispy, about 10 seconds per side. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
9. To assemble tacos, smash ½ an avocado onto a tortilla. Top with 3-4 slices of pork belly, pickled carrots, queso fresco, cilantro, and crema. Serve with lime wedges for fresh lime juice, if desired. Enjoy!

By Sarah Daniel

The Charming Detroiter http://thecharmingdetroiter.com/

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