Restaurant Secrets: Make Crispy Pork Belly Like MICHELIN Restaurants

"A third-generation, Bib Gourmand stalwart cherished for over 70 years, this local favorite serves crispy pork belly with puffy, crackling skin and tender, moist meat fragrant from its marinade, with freshness paramount as ingredients are sourced daily. The team selects belly with minimal fat, removes hairs, cleans, boils it just to doneness, marinates, and dries it thoroughly, cutting grooves and pricking the skin so seasoning and oil penetrate, then fries in pig lard over medium heat, judging doneness by the skin’s color and sound. Mastery comes from controlling heat and maximizing dryness (the drier the pork, the crisper the crackling); air fryers tend to produce a more roasted texture, and once cooked the pork should be kept ventilated at room temperature, with an air fryer or very brief refry for warming, though it’s best eaten right away. Served over rice with the restaurant’s sweet soy sauce—an original recipe from the owner’s grandfather whose sweetness cuts the fattiness—or enjoyed in a phad kaprao, it’s deeply satisfying." - Pruepat 'Maprang' Songtieng