Pork Belly Satay

Inspired by the popular dish chicken satay, this pork belly satay is bursting with flavor and is fall-apart tender for a delicious bite. Serve the skewers with a bright vinegar dipping sauce for a great appetizer or main course.

Recipe

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Pork Belly Satay

Total Time2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: pork

Servings: 2

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Pickled cucumbers

• 1 Persian cucumber sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
• ¼ cup boiling water
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Braised pork belly

• 2 pounds pork belly slab boneless
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 inch knob of ginger
• 2 garlic cloves smashed
• 1 Thai chile
• 2 scallions white ends only

Marinade

• ½ cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter smooth
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

Dipping sauce

• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 Thai chile chopped
• juice of ½ lime
• 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts for garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions

• Make the pickled cucumbers. Whisk together the boiling water with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Pour the mixture over the sliced cucumbers and let sit for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Place the pork belly in a pot and add enough chicken stock or water to cover the pork belly. Add the ginger, garlic, Thai chile, and scallions to the pot and cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer on low for 2 hours or until tender.
• Meanwhile, make the marinade. Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade including the coconut milk, peanut butter, oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, red curry paste, mustard, and fish sauce until smooth.
• Preheat broiler to high.
• Drain the pork and let cool slightly. Cut the pork into bite-sized chunks and pour the marinade on top, gently tossing to coat all sides. Skewer the pork belly and lay the skewers on a baking sheet. Broil the pork until lightly charred on all sides, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. Combine the water with rice vinegar, sugar, Thai chile, and lime juice. Set aside.
• Transfer the pork belly satay onto a plate and sprinkle crusted peanuts and cilantro on top. Serve with pickled cucumbers and the dipping sauce.

Notes

You can prepare the pickled cucumbers and dipping sauce the day before.

To cut down on the cooking time, use a pressure cooker to braise the pork belly.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Braise pork belly

When I thought of making pork belly satay, I imagined thick chunks of pork belly that melted away with every bite. I wanted something so tender that it easily fell apart. To achieve this meant that I had to take the extra step and braise the pork belly first.

You can braise the pork the traditional way: in the oven. Place all the items in a Dutch oven, cover the pot, and braise at 325 degrees F for 2 hours or until tender.

Alternatively, use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker to braise the meat. Add the ingredients to the pot, set the pressure cook settings to high for 45 minutes, and let the steam release naturally.

Step 2: Prepare seasonings

While the pork is absorbing that broth and becoming deliciously tender, make the marinade. This is where we incorporate all the flavors.

Combine the coconut milk with smooth peanut butter, brown sugar, red curry paste, mustard, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and oil. If your red curry paste is especially spicy, you can adjust the amount according to your preference.

Once the pork is ready, remove it from the stock and let it cool slightly. It'll be easier to cut the pork belly when it's not piping hot.

You can also braise the pork the night before and continue with the recipe the following day.

Since the pork is already cooked, we're just going to broil the pork belly satay until the sauce becomes caramelized.

Keep an eye on the skewers since there is sugar in the sauce, which can make the pork belly burn.

Step 3: Putting it all together

While the skewers are broiling, prepare the dipping sauce. I highly recommend making the dipping sauce. The slightly spicy, tangy sauce will balance the flavor-packed skewers and bring a refreshing quality to the dish. The pickled cucumbers also help balance the dish.

You can increase or decrease the number of Thai chilies depending on your preference.

Feel free to make both the pickled cucumbers and dipping sauce the day before.

Finish the pork belly satay with crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro, and serve with pickled cucumbers and the dipping sauce. You can even squeeze some fresh lime juice on there for a hit of acidity.

If you enjoy peanut-flavored dishes, you'll like these pork belly satay skewers. The fall-apart tender pork belly with the beautiful caramelized edges is oh so creamy. Dunk the pork in the tangy and bright dipping sauce and chase it with pickled cucumbers for a party in your mouth.

For more pork belly recipes, check out this twice cooked black pepper pork belly and herb roasted pork belly with shallot mustard sauce!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: You can braise the pork belly the day before and finish it in the broiler the following day.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

More Thai recipes

Looking for more Thai dishes? Try these: