Smoked Birria Tacos
March 10, 2024Taco Recipes
March 10, 2024Fried Pork Belly Tacos
There isn't much better in life, than biting into a piece of pork belly that has super crisp and crunchy skin, sitting atop juicy, flavorful meat...Unless it is wrapped in a flour tortilla and smothered with fresh, delicious toppings.
There is something about the ratio of meat to fat and soft to crunchy that makes pork belly tacos so delicious.
Try this one with your favorite toppings. I highly suggest my pineapple salsa. You can find the recipe link below.
Ingredients
-
2 lbs skin on Pork Belly
- 1 and ¼ cup kosher salt (Divided)
-
2 Tablespoons Paprika
-
1.5 Tablespoons Black pepper
-
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
-
1 Tablespoon dried Oregano
-
1 Tablespoon ground Cumin
-
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
-
1 quart Peanut Oil
Method
1. The day before you are planning to cook, place pork belly, skin side up, on a wire rack, on an oven tray. Use one cup of Kosher Salt to completely cover the pork skin. Place uncovered, in the fridge overnight.
2. Remove pork from fridge and brush off the excess salt. Cut pork belly into strips, about 1 inch wide and 2-3 inches long.
3. Mix the dry seasonings together in a small bowl and season the meat on all sides. If the rub is having difficulty adhering, you can use a light layer of oil as a binder.
4. Preheat smoker to 250F and add your favorite smoking wood. For pork, I like cherry, but apple or peach are great options.
5. Smoke until pork hits an internal temperature of 160F. Remove from the smoker and pat dry. Place skin side up, on a dry, wire rack, above a deep tray.
6. While the pork smokes, pour oil into pot and raise temperature to 350F.
7. Once oil has met temperature, carefully pour the oil over the pork skin. It will blister and bubble as it crisps. Continue until all of the pork skin is nicely crisped. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before carefully removing the pork from the tray.
8. Serve with your favorite taco ingredients. I highly recommend my Pineapple Salsa recipe, that you can find HERE.
