Salo | Cured in Hot Brine Pork Belly

"Salo in a Jar" (сало в банке) is a popular way of wet curing salo at home. The idea is to start the process of cooking at a high temperature and then continue for a few hours while the temperature is naturally dropping. Sous vide allows full time and temperature control in this recipe, and you can choose what texture you like better. I found — 140F/60C, 15 minutes for each 1″ of thickness + 15 minutes — is the best for 15 minutes of hot smoking to follow. The same timing, but 65C is preferred for hot curing without smoking. Cooking it 60C but twice longer makes the texture softer if the pigskin is not charred.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Combine all brine ingredients and bring to boiling. Turn off the heat and cool it down to room temperature (Note: Refrigerate brine if using a chamber vacuum packing machine).

Step 2

Place pork belly pieces inside the bags, divide brine equally, and add it to the bags, including spices and bay leaf. Add sliced or smashed garlic. Vacuum pack them.

Step 3

Preheat water for sous vide to 140F/60C and start it running. Submerge packed pork belly and cook for 1 hour if 1.5" thick or recalculate the time 15 minutes for each 1" of thickness + 15 minutes.

Step 4

Submerge cooked, packed pork belly into an ice bath (water and ice 1:1) to stop cooking. Remove pork belly from the bags and discard them and the brine. Pat them dry with paper towels, place them in closed containers, and refrigerate them until ready for smoking.

Step 5

Use a pellet smoker, 180F, 1 hour, to smoke the salo. Place smoked pork belly in closed containers and store refrigerated for up to 1 week. For longer storage, vacuum pack and freeze for up to 6 months.

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