In this article, you will learn how to make your own pepper pork belly. With moderate effort, you can achieve a delicious result.
Pepper pork belly is a classic specialty made from cured pork belly, which is rubbed with coarse pepper and then dried or smoked. The curing process gives the meat its intense flavor and ensures that it keeps well.
Pepper pork belly is usually eaten cold and thinly sliced, traditionally as a snack with farmhouse bread, mustard, or pickled gherkins. However, it is also excellent diced or sliced and fried, to enhance stews, fried potatoes, or hearty pan-fried dishes.
If you enjoy smoking or curing meat, you will also find other recipes from me, such as whisky ham, pork tenderloin and smoked ham recipes.
Want to learn more about ham? No problem, I wrote down all my knowledge in my ham book. Interested? Then click here.
But now enough talking…
Here you can find the complete karreespeck recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it!
Table of Contents
Pepper pork belly – What do you need to make it?
With the right ingredients and a little patience, you can whip up this delicacy in no time.
Ingredients per 1 kg
- 100% pork belly (1000g)
For the pepper crust
- 10g white or black pepper (The final amount depends on your piece of meat. The pork belly should be covered with pepper all over.)
Spices per liter of brine
- 1 L water
- 117.5 g salt
- 2.5 g Cure #1
- 20 g sugar
- 2.5 g granulated garlic
- 10 g black pepper
- 5 g white pepper
- 2 bay leaves
You will need approx. 20-30% of the meat weight in brine (so if your pork belly weighs 1.5 kg, you will need a maximum of 500 ml of brine). You can either boil 1 liter and then use only as much as you need, or calculate the recipe downwards.
The equipment to make pepper pork belly
Spice grinder/ mortar:
Freshly ground spices taste best. But of course, you can also use ground ones. It is best to use a spice grinder. Alternatively, you can use a mortar. You just need to take care, that the spices are completely ground.
Smoker oven
You need the smoker to smoke your pepper pork belly.
Pepper pork belly- Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these careful steps to make the perfect pepper pork belly.
1. Put all the spices and water in a saucepan and bring the brine to a brief boil. Then let it steep for 20-30 minutes and allow to cool.
2. Place the pork belly in a bag with the brine and seal it airtight.
Optional for faster curing: Now inject 20-25% brine into the pork belly with a syringe. You can stop as soon as you notice that the brine is leaking out more and more. My tip: Weigh the pork belly to get a good overview.
3. Place the bag in the refrigerator for the minimum curing time (1.5 days/cm of meat thickness). Turn the bag over occasionally. You can cure your meat for longer, but not for less time.
4. Crush the pepper in a mortar.
5. Pat the meat dry with a kitchen towel.
Book recommendation: The Full Guide On Making Dry Cured & Cooked Ham Easily At Home – Step-by-step instructions & 28 delicious recipes
6. Sprinkle the pepper over the pork belly. Make sure the pepper is evenly distributed over the meat.
7. Then insert a hook into the piece of meat. This will make it easier to hang it up afterwards. Alternatively, you can tie the pepper pork belly with kitchen twine and hang it up.
8. Hang the pork belly in the smoker and dry it for approx. 30 minutes at 50 °C (122.0°F) without smoke.
9. After 30 minutes, increase the temperature to 95°C (203.0°F) and continue smoking the pork belly until it reaches a core temperature of approx. 80°C (176.0°F). How long you want to smoke it depends on your preferences. For me, 2 hours has proven to be excellent.
10. Your pepper pork belly is ready. Enjoy!😄
Frequently asked questions
How long does your pepper pork belly keep?
Your pepper pork belly will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. Alternatively, you can vacuum seal your pepper pork belly in portions. When vacuum sealed, it should keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. You can also freeze it, which will increase its shelf life many times over.
What is pepper pork belly?
Pepper pork belly is a traditional specialty made from cured pork belly that is rubbed with coarse pepper. Depending on the recipe, it is air-dried or smoked and is characterized by its strong, spicy aroma.
Can I freeze my pepper pork belly?
Yes, you can—it’s best to cut it into thin slices and freeze it in portions. When thawing, store it slowly in the refrigerator.