nasty tasting pork belly strips

[Toby]

I have no doubt this will be a contentious issues but what the hell lol. I used to cook pork at 250, then last year took it down to 225 then at grillstock manchester cooked at 200 and turned it up to 250 for the last few hours. I love my pork like butter. Its all going to come down to how much time you want to put into the cook. Remember you wont get crackling with any low and slow cooking just juicy meat.

I wouldnt mind cooking a pork belly skin side down at 200. When i get back from hols I may have to give it a go.

What ever you decide let us know how it goes. btw only use a small piece of wood. less is more, you can always add more for later cooks but you cant take it away if you go too far.

[YetiDave]

200? Ain't nobody got time for that! I tend to cook around 225-250, but I've had just as good results cooking at 275-300. I think we're lead to believe that the lower and slower, the better. A pet hate of mine is seeing BBQ places advertising anywhere from 12-24 hour 'smoked' (yeah right, that much smoke and it'd be inedible) pulled pork. Personally I think it's a load of old tripe and anywhere in the range of 200-300 will give you fine results, but YMMV!

[Toby]

Sounds like we need to have a cookoff to put it to the test!

[The Foodtaster]

Toby think another grassroots competition is needed. Then the methods can be tested through the blind tasting and one bite judging system

[keith157]

The good thing about this forum is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and is free to share their ideas. Fat will not render at high temperatures, once the cells have seared they no longer become gelatinous and breakdown. That is why duck breasts should be started in a cold pan. When cooking belly pork in the oven the temp is 120c for 4-6 hours, then the skin is crisper either separately or under the grill.
I don't understand your comments about not having the time to cook slowly, that is the point of low and slow isn't it?


As to a cook-off as the Foodtaster doesn't drive that's 2 judges if you need them

[YetiDave]

The point of starting duck in a cold pan is to render the outer fat and cook the skin well without overcooking the breast itself. Fat will always render, and begins to do so at around 60C (off the top of my head, the temp's around there). There's never a point at which the temperature gets too high; just look at carnitas - chunks of pork deep fried in lard. You're looking at 350F/180C for the temperature of the lard, and the fat in the pork being fried still renders


As far as the competition goes... Probably not this year, but next year I could be swayed

[derekmiller]

Cook off!!! better get another judging course going.

[beercan]

A one bite rule with pork belly !! no we cant have that maybe two nice big slabs of each after all
its a very important decision and we want to be sure of getting it right !
And maybe just a few nice sides just to be sure its tasted in the correct environment and a little
cider to wash it down with ? All in the name of science of course.

[PDC7]

Found this all very interesting and I'm now planning on doing a pork belly tomorrow in the kettle, I'm going for skin on, 225-250 and 4-5 hours, will post pics if it goes well, if it goes pants I'll post lots of swear words

[BraaiMeesterWannabe]

Found this all very interesting and I'm now planning on doing a pork belly tomorrow in the kettle, I'm going for skin on, 225-250 and 4-5 hours, will post pics if it goes well, if it goes pants I'll post lots of swear words

How'd it go?