Sliced Pork Belly Sandwich

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A mouthwatering pork belly sandwich: sourdough bread slathered with garlicky mayonnaise and stacked with thick, BBQ sauce-glazed pork belly slices, tomatoes, onions, and rocket.

Make this hearty pork belly sandwich for lunch today. Or for dinner, who said you should only eat sandwiches for lunch? I love eating a delicious sandwich in front of the telly, and I am sure I am not the only one.

Recipe ingredients

Pork belly:

• You will need two slices of pork belly to make two sandwiches, so one piece per person, more or less ½ lb/ 250 g. I mostly buy cuts about ½ inch/ 1 ½ cm thick. If they are thinner (about ¼- ½ inch/ 6-12 mm) is also fine but adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• If the slices still have the skin on, please remove it.
• You can either start from scratch and pan-fry the meat or use reheated leftover pork belly. Check out this article on How to Cook Pork Belly Slices; it provides information on pan-frying, baking, grilling, or air-frying belly slices.
• Or make Pork Belly in the Slow Cooker, slice it and use it for today’s recipe.

Bread:

• I love sourdough bread; it’s my favorite kind of bread for any purpose. However, you can use other loaves of bread: crusty ciabatta, panini bread, crusty sandwich rolls, rye, whole wheat, or spelt bread are all good options.
• Try some of our bread recipes: Buckwheat Bread, Linseed Bread, or Spelt Bread.
• I don’t recommend the packaged, sweet-tasting supermarket white bread. And I am not a fan of brioche buns either; both packaged white bread and buns are too soft and too sweet for this pork belly affair.

Spices:

• Fine sea salt or Kosher salt, ground black pepper, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and garlic powder for seasoning the meat and a few tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce for glazing it.
• Substitute the spice mixture with your favorite store-bought meat seasoning. Sprinkle the meat on both sides and rub it well with the spices.

Sandwich sauce:

• Mayonnaise, one large clove of garlic, Dijon mustard, sweet grainy mustard, honey, salt, and pepper.
• Add red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or finely chopped jalapenos for some heat.

Toppings:

• Sliced tomatoes and red onions, and rocket.
• Rocket is always my first choice: the peppery flavor fits this sandwich perfectly, and its sturdier consistency also makes it great for a sandwich (it doesn’t wilt that fast). However, you can use regular lettuce, iceberg leaves, or watercress (which also has a great flavor).

How to make a pork belly sandwich?

Prepare ingredients:

• Sauce: Mix the mayonnaise, grated garlic, mustard, and honey in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Vegetables: Wash and dry the rocket leaves and remove any excessively long stems. Thickly slice the onions and the tomatoes.
• Bread: Cut four thick slices of bread.

Pan fry pork belly:

• Rub the meat with the spices (1).

• Cook in a hot skillet on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on their thickness. Flip the slices a few times in between using tongs (2).
• Brush them with some BBQ sauce during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Flip them repeatedly during this time, brushing them with more sauce every time you turn them (3).

Assemble the sandwich:

• Slather two bread slices thickly with the mayonnaise mixture and two pieces (the upper ones) only thinly. Place the thickly slathered slices on the working surface.
• Cut the prepared pork belly pieces in half and arrange the halves on each bread piece.
• Add rocket, tomato, and red onion slices.
• Cover with the thinly slathered bread pieces.
• Serve immediately.

Customize your sandwich

• Make a sandwich similar to this Pork Chop Burger with lots of mustard and caramelized onions.
• Make a sauerkraut pork sandwich; sauerkraut and pork are a match made in heaven. Learn How to Cook Sauerkraut or make Bavarian Sauerkraut.
• Make a BLT-style pork belly sandwich. Use good-quality crusty white bread instead of sourdough, thick and crispy pork belly slices instead of thin bacon slices, and add mayonnaise, tomatoes, and lettuce.
• Give the belly sandwich an Asian touch. Glaze the meat with hot or sweet and spicy sauce and top it with Asian-style quick pickles or Korean kimchi.

• Slather the bread with spicy Peri Peri Sauce or sriracha mayo.
• Or top the bread with coleslaw instead of tomatoes, onions, and salad leaves.
• Add cheese (Provolone, Gouda, Swiss, or Cheddar cheese).

Expert Tips

You will not need additional fat for cooking the meat; the belly will render enough fat.

Use a splatter screen when pan-frying the belly to avoid too much mess (Amazon affiliate link). Or cook the pork belly in the oven or the air fryer.

The pork belly sandwiches should be served immediately; the meat should still be hot. Cold belly slices are no delight, as they are very fatty. Cold and congealed-fat cuts are not great. If using leftover meat, ensure it’s hot before making the sandwiches.

Recipe FAQ

What to serve with it?

There are so many options. Make a green salad with Yogurt Dressing or a simple vinaigrette, or try our Raspberry Vinaigrette. Make White Cabbage Salad, German Coleslaw, or your favorite coleslaw.

Serve the sandwiches with roasted vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or any veggie mixture you like. You could also serve them with Potato Wedges with Chili Sauce or Polenta Roasted Potatoes.

Make Green Beans with Garlic, Air Fryer Carrots, or Fiesta Corn Salad.

More sandwiches

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