Not a pork chop. Not bacon. Something in-between. Pork belly anchors this rustic keto feast. It's a great choice for feeding a crowd—affordable, easy, and just different enough to keep it interesting.
December 7 2017 by Anne Aobadia, photo by Emma Shevtzoff, nutritional review by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE in Recipes, Dinner, Meal
Not a pork chop. Not bacon. Something in-between. Pork belly anchors this rustic keto feast. It's a great choice for feeding a crowd—affordable, easy, and just different enough to keep it interesting.
USMetric
6 servingservings
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs 1.1 kg pork belly
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ½ tsp cloves
- 1 (4 oz.) 1 (110 g) yellow onionyellow onions
- 1 (5¼ oz.) 1 (150 g) appleapples (optional)
Creamed cabbage
- 2 lbs 900 g pointed cabbage
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup 60 ml heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (2 oz.) 60 ml (60 g) cream cheese
- salt and pepper
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Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Dry the pork with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. The skin should be very dry. If you want it extra-crispy, you should let the meat sit uncovered in the fridge overnight.
Using a sharp knife, score the skin and fat but be careful not to cut the meat.
Grind spices and mix with salt. Rub mixture all around the pork belly, making an effort to get some of the rub into each score.
Place the meat skin side down in a greased baking dish. Bake on a lower rack for about two hours, depending on thickness. Use a thermometer and let the internal temperature reach 180°F (80°C) before you remove the pork from the oven.
While the pork is baking, slice onion, and optional apple.
Lift up the meat and place it on a clean dish. Put the sliced onion and apple in the middle of the baking dish. Place the meat on top with the skin side up.
Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) and place the dish back in the oven for 30 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Let the meat rest for a couple of minutes before you slice and serve it.
While the meat is baking, prepare the cabbage. Divide lengthwise and remove the core. Slice coarsely.
Fry the cabbage over medium heat in butter until soft but not brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add cream and cream cheese and stir. Lower the heat and let simmer until the cream is slightly thickened.
Serve slices of crispy roasted pork with the creamed cabbage; the baked onion and apple slices are optional (but delicious) additions.
Tip
If you don't have pointed cabbage, regular cabbage is fine! You can prepare the cabbage ahead of time and just warm and serve when the meat is done. It's a perfect way to enjoy your guests instead of focusing on the meal.
The apple does have some sugar in it, and onions contain some carbs. To make this dish more strictly keto, just leave the apples and/or onions in the pan after roasting the pork.
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💬 Have you tried this recipe?
What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
10 comments
1
Lee
December 7 2017
To my fellow Americans who are as perplexed as I am about "pointed cabbage" - I just did some googling and it's called Chinese cabbage here. Also, I've noticed most of the fried cabbage recipes here call for cooking but not browning the cabbage - don't feel obligated to follow that! It's really just about personal preference; I like it much better with little brown bits.
Reply: #3
2
Jenny
April 30 2018
This is the best thing I've cooked from this site!! Thank you so much. So worth waiting 2 hours :)
3
Reply to comment #1 by Lee
Stacey
July 18 2018
Thanks Lee!
To my fellow Americans who are as perplexed as I am about "pointed cabbage" - I just did some googling and it's called Chinese cabbage here. Also, I've noticed most of the fried cabbage recipes here call for cooking but not browning the cabbage - don't feel obligated to follow that! It's really just about personal preference; I like it much better with little brown bits.
4
Bruce
December 24 2018
Being an American who's lived in Germany for many years I can tell you they are talking about "Spitzkohl". I've never seen it in the USA but it looks like regular round cabbage that grew a pointed hat. It is very similar in taste but slightly milder and more tender. But regular cabbage is fine; the younger and fresher, the better.
5
chris
February 25 2019
Love this recipe, Just one thing the USDA database massively over estimates the number of calories in pork belly (and most other pork products), they put it at over 500cal per 100g, yet all the supermarket pork belly I buy puts it at between 250 and 280 per 100g.
6
Melissa
April 3 2020
This is hands down the BEST thing we have eaten since being on Keto. It makes it worth being on Keto so that you don't feel guilty eating this FEAST.
7
katinhen
July 31 2020
Can I use red cabbage?
Reply: #8
8
Reply to comment #7 by katinhen
Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
July 31 2020
Can I use red cabbage?
You may use red cabbage, but it will have more carbs per serving than pointed cabbage.
9
THOMAS ROBINSON
April 29 2021
To lower the carb count, use shallots. Only one sixth of the carbs of an onion. For flavour, finely chopped apple peel, powdered erythritol and lemon juice added at the last minute. The apple flesh is just sugar and should be thrown into the compost bin.
- 1 comment removed
11
Tamara
June 25 2022
This is my go to recipe for pork belly! . I have made it at least 20 times over the years. With or without the cabbage side. Leaving it overnight in the fridge uncovered really is the key to best results.
this is a great recipe when you’re serving a mixed keto and non keto crowd (of non-vegetarians of course.). I’m not keto and enjoy this with a baked apple and baked onion on the side especially in winter while my keto companions nosh on the cabbage side dish.
I change up the seasonings at times. A dry rub barbecue mixture is popular in my house . . Overnighting with little liquid smoke under the meat side is quite good. Dry Mustard and onion powder and thyme is my personal fav. . Asian spices are very tasty and the those leftovers are super good in broth
I get my best, most juicy results when I lightly cover the pork belly with foil during the the 350 phase.
I’ve also cooked it in two phases. Two hours at 3:50. Refrigerate overnight or for a couple days and then finish it at just before serving in the countertop convection oven. Doing the two hour cook in the early morning is more bearable on a hot summer days.. Check the temperature to be sure it’s add a safe temperature (at least 145 F ) during the first phase before you put it away.
Leftovers can be sliced up for pan frying with eggs or eaten cold - or cut into strips or cubes for soup.
