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Bagnet
Bagnet: Ilocos crisp pork belly, boiled, air-dried and fried twice
Up in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, in towns like Vigan and Batac, bagnet hangs in market stalls in golden slabs: pork belly that has been boiled, dried and deep-fried so the rind is puffed and crunchy all the way through. Ilocanos chop it into rice bowls, add it to pinakbet and dinengdeng, or eat it with sukang Iloco, the region's dark sugarcane vinegar. It is richer and crunchier than lechon kawali because it is fried twice. A tomato and onion salad with a little shrimp paste cuts the fat. Chef's tip: the second fry, in hotter oil after a rest, is what makes the rind bubble; skip it and you get chewy skin.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pork
For the tomato salad
To serve
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 3 ⅓ lb skin-on pork belly in a large pot with 12 ½ cups water, 1 bulb garlic, 4 bay leaves, 1 tbsp black peppercorns and 2 tbsp salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 60–70 minutes, until tender when pierced but not falling apart.
70 minStep 2: Lift out the slabs, pat dry and rub the rind with 1 tsp fine salt. Set skin-up on a rack over a tray and chill uncovered for 12–24 hours, until the rind feels dry and leathery. Keep it in the fridge, never out on the counter.
10 minStep 3: Heat 8 ¼ cups vegetable oil for deep-frying in a large, deep, heavy pot, no more than a third full, to 300°F. Pat the pork dry again; any moisture makes the oil spit violently. Keep a lid nearby and children and pets out of the kitchen.
10 minStep 4: Lower in one slab, skin-side down and away from you, and fry for 15 minutes, turning once, until light golden. Lift out onto a rack and repeat with the second slab. Rest both for 15 minutes.
35 minStep 5: Heat the oil to 375°F. Fry each slab again for 3–5 minutes, partly covered with a splatter guard, until the rind blisters and puffs all over. The meat should read at least 160°F in the thickest part. A common mistake is crowding the pot, which drops the temperature and leaves the skin hard instead of bubbly.
10 minStep 6: Drain on the rack for 5 minutes. Meanwhile mix 3 tomatoes, 1 red onion and 1 tbsp fermented fish or shrimp paste (bagoong) for the salad, and pour ½ cup sugarcane vinegar (sukang Iloco) or cider vinegar into small bowls with 2 bird's-eye chillies.
5 minStep 7: Chop the bagnet into thick slices with a heavy knife and serve with the salad and vinegar. Leave the oil to cool completely before moving it.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 820 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 72 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bagnet take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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