Momofuku's pork belly — cured overnight in salt and sugar, then slow-roasted until completely tender, then cooled, sliced, and pan-seared to order — applies the same two-stage cooking logic as Sichuan fragrant crispy duck (FD-89): a gentle, thorough first cook that converts collagen without producing any external texture, followed by a rapid, high-heat second cook that produces the exterior character.
- **The cure:** Salt, sugar, and optional spices applied to skin-on pork belly, refrigerated overnight. The cure draws surface moisture, seasons the interior, and begins the Maillard precursor reactions that will produce better colour during roasting. - **The slow roast:** 175°C for 1–1.5 hours until the fat layers are completely rendered and the flesh is yielding. The belly should offer no resistance to a skewer at any point. - **The cooling:** Pressed between two sheet pans with heavy weights while warm — the pressing compacts the layers and allows the belly to be sliced to a perfect, even 5cm rectangle. [VERIFY] Chang's pressing specification. - **The sear to order:** Each slice placed fat-side down in a screaming-hot pan — 2 minutes until the fat is golden and slightly blistered. Flipped: 1 minute on the flesh side. - **The result:** A pork belly slice with golden, yielding fat, a slightly caramelised fat cap, and a tender, moist interior — impossible to achieve without the two-stage technique.
Momofuku