Pork Belly Tacos
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
Rub
- 1 Tbsp Chinese 5-spice
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1 Tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Sauce
- ½ cup Hoisin sauce
- 1½ Tbsp chili flakes
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1½ Tbsp Chinese 5-spice
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp ground ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
Meat and Toppings
- 14-15 pounds pork belly
- ¾ cup apple cider or apple juice
- soft tortillas
- 1 fresh pineapple
- coleslaw*
- finely shredded sharp cheddar
Instructions
- Mix all rub ingredients together. Set aside.
- Score the fat side of the belly in a one inch criss cross pattern.
- Apply rub to meat, making sure all the meat is seasoned with the rub.
- Cover the belly tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Remove the pork belly from the fridge after 24 hours and let come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile soak Apple and Hickory wood chunks or chips.
- Heat smoker to 250°F. Add soaked wood chunks once temperature is reached and allow smoke to form.
- Insert a leave-in thermometer in the thickest part of the meat.
- Once the smoker is ready, place the pork belly on the smoker and allow it to cook slowly for 8 to 10 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Combine sauce ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and whisk thoroughly. Set aside.
- Baste with half of the sauce and wrap in foil, adding apple juice to the foil packet*, leaving the thermometer inserted.
- Continue cooking without smoke until internal temperature reaches 200°F.
- Remove from the smoker and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Chop into small cubes and add ¾ of the remaining sauce to the meat. Stirring to coat the meat.
- Grill the pineapple slices and then cut into small cubes.
- Serve on warm tortillas with a drizzle of remaining sauce. Top with the grilled pineapple, coleslaw, grated cheese or any other toppings of choice.
- Store leftover meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
*I create a foil packet for the meat to hold the juice by using a large sheet of foil, about 1-½ size of the meat. I then roll up the sides and ends together, creating a foil bowl around the meat, making sure there are no holes where liquid can escape. Then I add the juice, pouring it over the meat, and then seal it with an additional piece of foil as the cover