When I moved to New York City in my 20s, one of my first stops was Momofuku Noodle Bar. At that point, the famed East Village noodle joint had been open for over a decade, and I needed to know what the pork belly bao tasted like. I’d seen them featured in No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain cheerfully diving in, his fingertips glistening with rendered pork fat. I’d heard David Chang discuss them at length on NPR. I’d read about them in countless food magazines. This was before Momofuku had outposts in Los Angeles and Las Vegas or a consumer packaged goods brand; visiting felt like a rite of passage.
That first bite was jovial; unctuous and rich, sweet from the hoisin sauce, freshened by sliced cucumbers. The bao was pillowy soft, holding every element together perfectly. I understood then why Momofuku had captured the attention of New Yorkers, just as I understand why, now — 20 years later — it remains an institution.
Making the pork belly at home isn’t complicated, but does require patience. For shortcuts, use store bought mantou buns (they can typically be found in the frozen food section of Asian grocery stores and are easily steamed). Be sure to pair the pork belly with hoisin sauce and thinly sliced cucumbers to really replicate that Beijing duck-inspired experience that put Momofuku on the map.
Momofuku Pork Belly Recipe
One 3-pound slab skinless pork belly
¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
Step 1: Nestle the belly into a roasting pan or other oven-safe vessel that holds it snugly. Mix together the salt and sugar in a small bowl and rub the mix all over the meat; discard any excess salt-and-sugar mixture. Cover the container with plastic wrap and put it into the fridge for at least 6 hours, but no longer than 24.
Step 2: Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Step 3: Discard any liquid that accumulated in the container. Put the belly in the oven, fat side up, and cook for 1 hour, basting it with the rendered fat at the halfway point, until it’s an appetizing golden brown.
Step 4: Turn the oven temperature down to 250 degrees and cook for another 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the belly is tender — it shouldn’t be falling apart, but it should have a down pillow–like yield to a firm finger poke. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the belly to a plate. Decant the fat and the meat juices from the pan and reserve. Allow the belly to cool slightly.
Step 5: When it’s cool enough to handle, wrap the belly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put it in the fridge until it’s thoroughly chilled and firm. (You can skip this step if you’re pressed for time, but the only way to get neat, nice-looking slices is to chill the belly thoroughly before slicing it.)
Step 6: Cut the pork belly into ½-inch-thick slices that are about 2 inches long. Warm them for serving in a pan over medium heat, just for a minute or two, until they are jiggly soft and heated through. Use at once.
Reprinted with permission from Momofuku: A Cookbook by David Chang and Peter Meehan. Photographs by Gabriele Stabile © 2009. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Dina Ávila is a photographer living in Portland, Oregon.
Recipe tested by Ivy Manning
