Air Fried Bagnet Recipe (Filipino Crispy Pork Belly)
This Filipino bagnet recipe makes crispy, crackly pork belly with tender meat, inspired by the Ilocos region and made easily in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 600 g pork belly boneless
- 1 liter water
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp black whole peppercorn
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 pcs bay leaves
- 1 garlic sliced in the middle
- 1 inch ginger thinly sliced
- ¼ cup vinegar
Before Frying
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- ¼ cup salt
Dry seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
Instructions
- In a deep pot, add all your ingredients: pork belly (skin-side down), water, salt, whole peppercorns, sugar, bay leaves, garlic, ginger, and vinegar.
- Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the meat is tender enough that you can gently poke it with the tip of your knife.
- Remove your pork belly and pat the skin dry with a kitchen towel while seasoning the meat (sides and bottom) with the dry rub mixture.
- Place the pork belly on foil and carefully fold the sides to protect the edges, so the only part exposed is the skin.
- Clean the skin one last time, then brush it with a thin layer of white vinegar before pouring the salt over the top, making sure the entire skin is covered. You should have a thick layer of salt (about half a centimetre thick) covering the skin of your pork belly.
- Cook it in the air fryer at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Remove the salt. If any salt falls to the sides, gently brush it off with a kitchen towel. You can also remove the foil.
- You can gently poke the skin with a toothpick or fork to help achieve those little bubbles on the skin.
- Air-fry it again at 400°F for 30 minutes.
- Let it rest until it is cool to the touch, then slice it into small pieces! Enjoy your bagnet with your choice of dip and, of course, rice (never forget the rice lol).
Make sure the pot you are using is not too wide. The rule of thumb is to ensure the entire pork belly is covered by the water!
The cooking time will depend on how thick your pork belly is. I noticed that thinner pieces tend to cook faster, so you can check for tenderness after 30 minutes by poking the meat with a knife.
If you are using sliced pork belly (the thick, long strips), it may finish cooking in as little as 30 minutes!
Be careful not to put any seasoning on the skin. We want it to be as clean and dry as possible so it can become crispy!
If you are using sliced pork belly, you will need to wrap each piece individually so it’s easier to remove the salt afterwards.
Salt helps draw moisture to the surface of the pork belly. It's kind of like putting your wet gadget in rice, except here, we're trying to get rid of moisture so we can achieve that crispy skin!
I like removing the foil because it helps crisp up the edges, similar to how you would fry it in oil!