Vietnamese Lemongrass Smoked Pork Belly
This recipe transports you to the aromatic world of Vietnamese cuisine with fresh lemongrass, fish sauce and chili. The marinade gives the pork belly a bright, citrusy freshness that gains exotic depth through smoking with coconut and apple wood. The result is an aromatically complex meat, ideal for bánh mì sandwiches or noodle bowls.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Making the marinade and marinating
8-12 hoursBlend lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, chili powder, sugar and sesame oil into a smooth paste. Score the pork belly on the meat side, massage in the paste and marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
Preparation
45 minutesRemove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Score the skin in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife and rub with coarse salt. Allow to dry at room temperature for 45 minutes.
Smoking
4-6 hoursPreheat the smoker to 110-120 °C and prepare apple and lemon wood chips. Place the pork belly skin-side up and smoke at constant temperature until a core temperature of 72-75 °C is reached.
Resting and Slicing
10 minutesRest the finished meat for 10 minutes and then slice. Serve with fresh herbs, cucumber and sriracha as a bánh mì filling or over rice noodles.
Pro Tip
Score the pork belly skin before smoking and rub with a little salt – this makes it crispy during smoking and develops a wonderful texture.
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