5 ridiculously good pork belly recipes

To truly enjoy pork belly, you need to learn to stop worrying and love the fat, because the undeniable truth is that with pork belly, it's all about the fat. The delicious, buttery-when-perfectly-cooked, gorgeous, silky fat of this cut is one of the most singularly delicious things that meat-lovers can have. The fat, when slowly rendered, melts lovingly into the surrounding flesh, providing the lucky eater with a sumptuous, silky texture.

Then, or course, there's the skin, which crisps up like a dream if handled properly – just don't be too alarmed if you're faced with the odd hair or nipple.

Enjoy this list, and don't forget to check out our bigger collection of wobbly, unctuous, glorious pork belly recipes when you're done.

Chef Anna Hansen's recipe is all about perfect crackling and melting, soft flesh – just what a good roast pork belly should be. She brines the belly for a good stretch before slow-roasting and serving with a piquant green pepper relish, perfect for giving a good zingy balance to all that lovely sticky fat.

Shu Han Lee braises cubes of pork belly in a sweet and salty mix of miso, mirin and aromatic ginger in this incredible stew. After a good braise, the pork belly will fall apart in your mouth; no crispy crackling, but the delightful wobble of fat is incredibly addictive.

Peter Gordon proves two excellent points with this intriguing dish. One – that tofu is not just a meat substitute, and does in fact have its own thing going on, and two – pork belly that is brined, slow roasted, pressed, portioned and deep-fried is well worth the effort.

Salted, braised, pressed and portioned, this Simon Hulstone recipe may not be the quickest, but serving this perfectly tender pork belly with a simple apple purée and purple sprouting broccoli allows the meat to shine. Salting allows for beautifully crispy, golden skin. Mmm.

Soft, sweet and totally addictive, Sally Abe's steamed bao buns enclose a heart of gooey, honey-roasted pork belly with a delightfully sticky finish. The dough can be tricky to master, but once you get the hang of it you'll be rewarded with beautifully soft, doughy buns forever.