A guilt-free way to get that crunch
Pork belly isn’t usually something you’d expect from a health coach, but hear me out. When it’s done right, it’s not just a treat for the taste buds, it can be part of a balanced, real-food approach to eating that respects quality, satiety, and satisfaction.
This recipe takes the tastiest bits from classic crispy pork belly recipes but makes it a little more metabolic-friendly: we keep the sugar out, don’t drown it in oil, and skip the deep fryer entirely. What we don’t skip is the crackle.
🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 1.2–1.5 kg pork belly, skin on, ideally free-range or organic
- 2 tsp sea salt, plus more for skin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
Optional extras for the base:
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- A splash of stock or water (to stop the fat from burning)
🧂 Why this combo?
- Salt and vinegar help dry out and crisp the skin.
- Five spice adds deep flavour without the need for sugary marinades.
- A veggie base under the pork belly not only adds nutrients to the meal, it also stops the pork from stewing in its own fat.
🔪 Prep steps (the night before, if possible)
- Score the skin: Use a sharp knife or Stanley blade to lightly score the skin (not too deep—just into the fat, not the meat). Diagonal or cross-hatch, up to you.
- Dry the skin: Pat it down with paper towels and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight (skin side up). This step is huge for good crackling.
- Season the underside (meat side): Rub in sea salt, pepper and five spice. Leave the skin bare (no rub on top).
🔥 Cooking steps
Preheat oven to 220°C fan (or 240°C non-fan)
- Prep a roasting tray with the chopped veg and a little water or stock at the bottom. Place a rack over the veg and put the pork belly skin-side up on the rack.
- Brush the skin with vinegar or lemon juice and a light drizzle of oil. Then sprinkle a decent amount of flaky salt over the top.
- Roast at high heat for 30–35 minutes. This is your crackling phase. Keep an eye on it, you want puffed, blistered, golden skin.
- Reduce the heat to 160°C and cook for another 1 hour and 10 minutes. This renders the fat and cooks the meat through without drying it out.
- Final blast (optional): If the skin isn’t quite there, turn the grill on for 5 minutes, watching like a hawk.
- Rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing. Slice between the bones with a sharp knife or cleaver.
🥦 Serving suggestion
Pair it with:
- Steamed greens tossed in sesame oil and lemon
- A simple slaw with apple cider vinaigrette
- Roasted kumara or cauliflower mash
💡 Health Coach Tips
- Portion size matters: Pork belly is rich, so you don’t need a mountain of it. A few crisp slices alongside a pile of veg is deeply satisfying.
- Source well: Choose quality pork from animals raised well, it makes a difference in taste, fat profile, and ethics.
- Balance the plate: This is a fat-forward cut, so skip the creamy sauces or deep-fried sides and let the meat shine. Remember fat doesn’t make you fat.
🧘♂️ Final thought
Being healthy isn’t about living in denial, it’s about choosing foods that nourish and delight. This recipe is a perfect example. Crisp, succulent, and deeply flavourful without tipping you into a food coma or a blood sugar crash.
Enjoy it, share it, and maybe even prove that a health coach can serve up crackling and credibility in the same meal.
Want to work on your nutrition or build a way of eating that actually works for you?
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