Crispy pork (moo krob) , cooked using two approaches.
Left: Air fried
Right: cooked in oven
It's my first time making this so I'm still experimenting.
Which looks better?
For the recipe, I pretty much followed the one from Hot Thai Kitchen. For the last step, I did a variation and used the air fryer to cook one batch, and I used the conventional oven to cook the other batch.
Here is a summary of the main steps in order to prepare the crispy pork belly. The first part has to be done 24 HOURS in Advance
Step 1: Puncture small holes on the skin side.
Step 2: Rub salt on the top (skin side) and bottom (meat side) of the pork belly.
Step 3: Rub 5 spice powder mixture on the meat side of the pork belly.
Step 4: Let the pork belly dry out in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours.
Step 5: The next day, remove excess salt and pat dry to remove any accumulated moisture.
Step 6: Cook using either air fryer or conventional oven. Cook until an internal temperature of 145F is reached (for rare) or up to 155-160F if you like your meat more cooked.
If using conventional oven, you should put the pork belly on broil for 10 minutes in order to allow the skin to crisp and bubble.
Step 7: Let the pork rest for about 15-20 minutes.
Step 8: Slice and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce or as part of another recipe (e.g., Pad khana moo krob, Pad krapao moo krob).
Enjoy.