Pork Belly Tacos
Ingredients
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- 2 pounds pork belly – cut into 1.5-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper – freshly ground
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano – crumbled
- 1 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1/2 cups orange juice – freshly squeezed
- 1 cups water
- 1 medium white onion – thickly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic – crushed
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- 12 tortillas corn tortillas
- white onion – finely chopped (for serving)
- fresh cilantro – chopped (for serving)
- radishes – thinly sliced (for serving)
- salsa – for serving
- limes – cut into wedges (for serving)
Instructions
1. Pat the pork belly dry and cut into 1.5-inch pieces.
2. In a bowl, toss the pork with kosher salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and dried Mexican oregano until evenly coated.
3. Heat the neutral oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork in a single layer and brown lightly on all sides, 6–8 minutes total.
4. Add the orange juice and water, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the thickly sliced white onion, crushed garlic, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and cook at a steady simmer 1.5–2 hours, turning the pieces occasionally, until the pork is very tender and the liquid has mostly evaporated, leaving rendered fat; the pork should yield easily when pierced.
6. Remove and discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Increase heat to medium-high and let the pork fry in its own fat, stirring every 1–2 minutes, until edges are deep golden and crisp, 8–12 minutes.
7. Warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat until pliable and lightly spotted, 30–60 seconds per side. Stack and keep wrapped in a clean towel.
8. Prepare toppings: finely chop the white onion, chop the cilantro, thinly slice the radishes, cut the limes into wedges, and set out the salsa.
9. Assemble tacos by filling warm tortillas with crispy pork belly and topping with onion, cilantro, and radishes. Serve immediately.
Pork belly tacos offer a rich, succulent filling with a balance of melt-in-the-mouth tenderness and crisp edges, wrapped in warm corn tortillas. The savory pork is lifted by fresh toppings—sharp white onion, bright cilantro, crunchy radish—and a squeeze of lime, bringing acidity that cuts through the fat. With salsa alongside, each bite layers texture and brightness over deeply seasoned pork.
While pork belly tacos are a modern favorite, the idea draws on long-standing Mexican traditions of pork cookery, especially carnitas, which confit and crisp mixed cuts including belly. Street-style tacos typically lean minimalist in toppings, favoring onion, cilantro, and lime to spotlight the meat. Contemporary kitchens often highlight belly on its own, applying classic simmer-then-crisp techniques to achieve the signature contrast of tender interior and caramelized exterior.