The Pork is already sliced!? ?

Question

My store only carries pork belly pre-sliced. Should I adjust the braising time due to this?

Julie · Answer

They were good but not enough to justify the price of pork belly. After much persuasion, the kids ate the pork and liked it! I'll probably make them again but with a cheaper cut of pork. I would also make the brine the night before (timing was tight) and watch how much lime juice I put in.

Gammy · Answer

Dying to know.... how were the tacos???

Julie · Answer

Thanks so much for the tips!  The store that had them was Wegmans. The strips were more bacon-like sliced, than 1 inch thick so I went around to another bigger Wegman's store and found a regular big slab, although double the price of the slices. It was right next some Japanese beef that was over $100. Very jealous of the butcher in the replies that said their pork belly was $1.49 a pound! (Although that was in 2013 so maybe pork belly wasn't "trendy" then and therefore cheap!)

Gammy · Answer

I think with a couple of minor recipe modifications, you'll be OK. First, how wide are the sliced of pork belly that your store carries?  Step 5 calls for slicing into 1" slices, so if you are close to that, rather than closer to say bacon slices, you'll be fine. I would rinse the individual slices as in step 1.  Step 2, make the brine. For step 3, I would play it safe and tie the slices back together. Here is a general idea of how to tie: https://food52.com/blog....  Continue with step 4, through the rest of the recipe, being careful to not leave in the brine too long.   You MIGHT be able to forego the tying up of the slices, but I would drastically shorten the brining time to maybe an hour, you don't want these to end up too salty.  May I ask what store carries pork belly and is it raw, uncured pork?  I can only find salt pork, completely different and cured, but good for soups.

The Pork is already sliced!? ?

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