Freakshakes and raindrop cakes may come and go, but pork belly will forever hold a place in our hearts – and our mouths. From that first crunch of crackle, through to that melt-in-the-mouth layer of fat, all the way to the tender meat, pork belly never ceases to make us drool, whether it’s on burger, in a taco or all on it’s own.
Don’t let the name switcheroo fool you, these pork belly bites topped with sweet potato mash and vinegar and cinnamon reduction will be just as mouth-watering as you expect them to be.
You know that crispy crackling you always try to perfect at home but can never quite get right? Well The Red Lion Hotel have nailed it, with a crackle you could probably hear cracking from the city.
Twice cooked pork belly | Libertine | Petrie Terrace
Libertine may mix it up every season with their crackling twice-cooked free range pork belly, but you can be assured it will always be on the menu, and should always be your first order.Pork belly bao | The Wickham | Fortitude Valley
We’re a little bit obsessed with fluffy bao buns, so combine them with pork belly and you’ve seriously got our attention. Throw in hoisin sauce, chilli, pickled carrot and red onion and we’ll bao down before these babies.Proud Mary burger | Brooklyn Depot | South Bank
Do not wear a white shirt for this beast – you have been warned. Pork belly is, wait for it, deep fried to crispy perfection then piled with bacon (more pork), Bloody Mary ketchup, caramelized onions and tomato salsa.Crispy pork belly | Chop Chop Chang’s | West End
Order one plate along with a whole spread of other pan-Asian eats or just order three plates of the crispy pork belly, either way, there’s no such thing as a Chop Chop Chang’s feed that doesn’t include getting some pork on your fork.
Slow cooked belly pork | Soul Bistro | Milton
Don’t let the name switcheroo fool you, these pork belly bites topped with sweet potato mash and vinegar and cinnamon reduction will be just as mouth-watering as you expect them to be.
Pork belly ramen burger | Southside Bistro | Sunnybank
Yeah you read that right – it’s a RAMEN burger. You could get the regular pork belly burger (which is also pretty damn good), but why would you with this crispy noodle number to sample?Pork belly | Hope & Anchor | Paddington
Who knew smaller bites of pork belly would make for an even tastier mouthful? The chefs at Hope & Anchor, clearly. Their crispy version is somewhere between bacon and pork belly, and we could eat at least 6 plates of the stuff.Pork belly sandwich | Two Wheels and a Handlebar | Milton
If you keep an eye on their Facebook page for the daily menu, occasionally these guys have a sourdough sandwiched so stuffed with the tastiest, crispiest pork belly you’ve ever seen, that you can barely hold it with two hands.Pork belly tacos | Mucho Mexicano | South Bank
It can be hard to choose just 3 tacos from Mucho Mexicano’s epic list, but we’re here to make it a little easier (about 1/3 easier) by telling one of them should definitely be pork belly and pineapple salsa.
Slow cooked pork belly | The Red Lion Hotel | Moorooka
You know that crispy crackling you always try to perfect at home but can never quite get right? Well The Red Lion Hotel have nailed it, with a crackle you could probably hear cracking from the city.
Pork belly skewers | Sake | CBD
Hot off the charcoal grill, these skewers of seriously juicy pork belly will have your mouth-watering before they even arrive at the table, because their aroma will get there long before they do.Pork belly | Mamaku | Clayfield
If there’s one pork belly dish that will provide an oink-ment for any bad day, bad mood or just a bad case of hangry, it’s Mamaku’s Indonesian style pork belly, which is better than any hug.Crispy pork belly burger | Chur Burger | Fortitude Valley
We don’t think we’ve ever seen a bigger chunk of pork belly on a burger than the hunk on Chur Burger’s signature stack. Go the whole hog and get double meat – you know you want to.Pork belly | Harajuku Gyoza | South Bank & Fortitude Valley
Don’t be a pork chop and leave this belly out of your feast at Harajuku Gyoza, it’s right up there with the grilled pork gyoza in terms of the must-order dishes at this funky Japanese spot. Go and pig out. Words by Ranyhyn Akui
