Grill Scene: Plum-Glazed Pork Belly Kebabs
It's full-on kebab season, and we've got some great recipes from the book that says it all. With creative preparations, delicious sauces, vegetarian and vegan options for everyone, you'd be hard-pressed to get through the book without craving something on a skewer. Fire up the grill and get cooking! These sweet and savory pork belly kebabs are a delight.
In the past few years, pork belly has really grown in popularity. What's not to like? It's basically thick cut bacon without all the sodium. However, a little goes a long way with pork belly. These kebabs make the perfect appetizer or addition to pizzas and sandwiches. The slightly sweet plum glaze caramelizes beautifully on the crisped pork belly. The trick with this recipe is a slower cook. We recommend charcoal for this one, but it works beautifully on a gas unit as well.
- 1 pound pork belly
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 to 8 skewers (use a good quality metal skewer for this recipe)
- 1/2 cup Asian plum sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Asian chili paste
- 1 clove garlic
- Preheat the grill for medium heat. When the grill is ready, oil the grill grates right before putting on the kebabs. Using long-handled tongs, dip some folded paper towels in a high smoke point cooking oil and wipe down the grill grates, making at least three good passes to create a nonstick surface.
- Cut the pork belly into 1-inch cubes.
- Thread the pork belly cubes onto the skewers and season with salt and black pepper.
- Place the kebabs onto the grill. Cook for approximately 25 minutes, turning a few times during the cooking process.
- Combine all the ingredients for the Plum Glaze in a bowl and begin basting during the last 10 minutes of cook time. Watch that the Plum Glaze does not burn and reduce the heat or move the kebabs to a cooler part of the grill if necessary.
- Once the pork belly has a nice rosy-brown color and has crisped on the outside, remove from the grill and serve immediately.