Because of its countless uses and fatty nature, the cooking instructions will vary on the recipe, but pork belly should be cooked first in a low heat setting to allow the fat to properly render to the appropriate doneness.
To picture pork belly, imagine bacon before it’s become bacon: uncured and unsmoked belly meat. Pork belly can be kept as a slab or rolled and tied into a pinwheel for roasting, or sliced thin for searing. Pork belly's decadent layers of fat give it an unrivaled melt-in-your-mouth richness when cooked correctly.
Skin-on or -off depends on how you're planning to cook the belly. If you are going to roast it whole or make porchetta, we recommend keeping the skin on to have crispy chicharron as part of your meal. Go skinless if you are going to cut the belly thin for searing or grilling.
Berkshire Pork, also referred to as Kurobuta pork in Japan, is a pig breed whose arrival to the U.S. can be traced back as early as 1875. Berkshire pigs are celebrated for their excellent lean to fat ratio and superior flavor. We partner with farms we trust like True Story Farmsin Missouri and Vermont Heritage Grazers who both work tirelessly to ensure our pigs live sustainable happy lives, so you can enjoy the best pork possible.