This is a technique that I found about a year ago and it is a keeper. I never do the belly any other way and it is very versatile; we used it with noodles or rice for Asian and in warps or for these awesome homemade tacos.
Ingredients:
500G Pork belly strips | 4 tbsp. Soy sauce |
Small onion finely sliced | 1tbsp. Honey |
Mini tortilla wraps | 1-2tsp Sweet chilli sauce |
Natural yogurt | Rice wine vinegar |
Smashed avocado or guacamole | White vinegar |
Sugar or alternative | |
Salt and pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika |
Method:
We use the pork belly strips you buy in the supermarket; they are a cheap cut and taste so good. We do look for ones with more meat on just so you not eating pure fat. Warm the oven to 177 C.
You need to score the fat in a crosshatch format but do not cut through to the meat. I use a Portuguese spice rub but add smoked paprika and garlic powder to it and rub it all over. I also rub some plain salt into the fat before starting to cook. I line them up like soldiers in a backing tray that will hold some liquid, put them in the pre-heated oven for an hour.
Prepare your basting sauce by combining Soy Sauce, honey and sweet chilli sauce; whisk it with a fork or shack up in a jar. You can prepare your Pickled Onion now, combine the vinegars’, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl and warm through in the microwave, 30 seconds are fine. I added some red food colouring to give it the authentic colour and a pinch of onion seeds. You could use red onion and skip the food colouring.

After the pork has had its hour turn the oven down to 120 C, baste the pork with the marinade and put back in the oven for 20 minutes. Baste it one more time in the cooking liquor from the baking tray. The meat is super tender and shreds or slices easily.

For the children’s wraps I steamed cauliflower, broccoli and sweetcorn. The Broccoli and sweet corn were served on the side and the cauliflower mashed was layered in the wrap with cheese, shredded pork and folded in half like a quesadilla and served with some yogurt. You can heat it in a pan or the microwave for a few seconds to melt the cheese.
The brushed both sides of the mini wraps and toasted them in a hot pan then topped with a little Mexican rice, pulled pork, Guacamole, yogurt, shredded lettuce and picked onion. Finally, some hot sauce from the guys at All Sauce and some lie wedges. Taco truck delicious!!
