For an extra scary Halloween, Our menu for today is a putok batok pork recipe. It’s my version of the Hongkong Style Roast Pork Belly, slow-cooked to perfection, with a spine-tingling melt-in-your-mouth fat. Awooooo!

One of the very best things that got me addicted to the slow cooker (also known in the other side of the world as a crockpot) is how meats become so tender, and the fat feels like an explosion of flavors in your mouth.

Slow cookers are like magic…

Yes, really. They can turn tough cuts of meat into tender versions and make the most boring parts exciting again. The process of cooking slowly that a slow cooker provides is ideal for the tougher cuts of meat that need more time to break down the muscle fibers. Supposedly slow cooking takes longer, but that’s not exactly true. The method itself simply encompasses the hot-cold cycle, in which food is cooked with a long exposure of heat after being refrigerated or marinated.

Slow Cooked Liempo

Like most Pinoys, pork is one of our favorites. We could eat it almost every day.  One of the most popular parts of the pig is called Liempo. This is a favorite from my younger days up to now since it was not that expensive at that time. Despite being pricey, this remains one of our Pinoy favorites and is used for many dishes. This slow-cooked Liempo (roast pork belly) is a no-nonsense pork recipe, with no aspirations nor pretensions of being a healthy recipe. Sorry haha.

Though it looks like you slaved the whole day for it, the slow cooker does most of the work while you browse Facebook and watch your favorite Kdrama show. It’s a long and drawn-out affair definitely. It takes about 2 days if you do leave it the refrigerator overnight for the drying process. Plus the slow cooking process and frying. Whew. Thankfully, you dont have to stand in front of it while cooking, and most of the work is just preparation.

If you’re in a rush, you can probably skip it or shorten it to 6 hours but drying helps with the flavoring and keeps the pork together during the slow cooking process.

I got the Liempo Recipe here but have adapted it for the slow cooker. Don’t have a slow cooker yet? Read here why you should buy one! If you’re a working mom, this is perfect for you. You can set it up in the morning and come home to a wonderfully smelling home with your dinner already cooked! I’ve been using an old American Heritage pressure cooker that probably needs replacement soon since it’s so overused at home. Have actually been looking at this multi-usehttps://invle.co/cleqrkh slow cooker cum rotisserie one, ehemm @American Heritage, beke nemen…

I also have a lot of Pinoy Style slow cooker recipes in the Relax lang Mom website, and you won’t have a hard time converting your favorite recipe. They’re best for crock pot chicken recipes, slow cooker soups, crock pot roast recipes, slow cooker chili recipes, and really for a lot of things, even your good old Sinigang.

Slow Cooked Hongkong Style Roast Pork Belly

Ingredients

• 1 cup very hot water
• 3 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1 kl pork belly
• coarse sea salt (for the slow cooking part)

Seasoning

• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine/Chinese Cooking wine –
• 2-2.5tsp salt –
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp Magic Sarap
• 1/2-1tsp  Five spice powder – I put 1 tsp

Instructions:

1. 1. Clean your slab of pork belly thoroughly, making sure there are no remaining hairs.
   2. Add in a pot then fill it with water. Add salt and 3 laurel leaves.
   3. Let it boil then time it for 10 minutes after it begins to bubble fiercely.
   4. Drain and rinse the pork. Pat dry with a towel.
   5. Using a very pointed knife, poke the skin as much as possible so the skin will be crispy. Continue patting dry if there is remaining water.
   6. Coat the rind and pork belly meat with cooking wine, then put together the rest of the seasoning.
   7. Rub the seasonings around the meat but not the skin. (Only marinate the meat with the seasoning but not the skin)
   8. Put the meat in the refrigerator to air dry for a day or until you’re ready to cook.

Slow Cooking Step:

• Wrap the pork belly with aluminum foil and place in a baking tray; make sure the height of the foil is 1 inch higher than the pork belly. Coat a very thick coarse salt on the rind. This to make the water at the rind surface evaporate to achieve that crispy skin effect.
• Put in the slow cooker and turn it on high for 4 -6 hours. If you’re using a programmable slow cooker or an instant pot, the Low setting is 190 degrees F and High setting = 300 degrees F.
• Get rid of the salt.
• Get a flat pan, add 2 tbsp oil, and heat until smoking. Carefully put the pork belly skin down. Be careful of the splatter. The skin will crisp up in 2 -3 minutes or less.
• (Or alternately, if you have a broiler, broil it on high for 10 – 15 minutes)
• Let rest for 5 minutes and serve with rice!

Notes:
If you’re aiming for an authentic feel, serve with Hoisin sauce. Otherwise, have a blast with Mang Tomas sauce. It’s awesome!

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