Pork belly skin

[jkief]

Question for you all. What’s the easiest way you found to remove the skin on the pork belly? I can get pork bellies at the commissary on post for a decent price. Skin is on. I want to do some smoked pork belly. When I make it for the bacon, I just peel the skin off after smoking. If smoking until cooked/tender do I still just peel the skin off after it’s done?

 

[SirPorkaLot]

Question for you all. What’s the easiest way you found to remove the skin on the pork belly? I can get pork bellies at the commissary on post for a decent price. Skin is on. I want to do some smoked pork belly. When I make it for the bacon, I just peel the skin off after smoking. If smoking until cooked/tender do I still just peel the skin off after it’s done?

Yup!
If you score and salt the skin well, it will become little edible bites of deliciousness. It also comes off super easy

I seek out skin-on pork shoulder to cook for this reason

 

[jkief]

Ah..I never salted the skin before. We cut and fry into chicharron

 

[thirdeye]

To remove the skin, choose your sharpest, most flexible (and sharpest) knife in your arsenal (which should be scary sharp). Then start (skin up) in one corner and make small strokes with the tip of the knife clear across the face. Then just cut and roll, and favor the skin with your knife.

Roasting whole with the skin scored deeply is pretty good stuff.

 

[IamMadMan]

You don't have to wit for the bacon to be done to remove the skin, even under a cold smoke (under 90°), I find the skin starts to easily remove after about 30 to 45 minutes as the fat starts to soften from the mild heat. Remove the skin and put it back on the hangers.

 

[jkief]

You don't have to wit for the bacon to be done to remove the skin, even under a cold smoke (under 90°), I find the skin starts to easily remove after about 30 to 45 minutes as the fat starts to soften from the mild heat. Remove the skin and put it back on the hangers.

That’s good to know. Thanks!!

 

[oldgfbbq]

I'm in the camp of removing skin before smoking, in order to have nice color all the way around each slice. You can still cook/smoke the skin separately.

 

[halfcocked]

I cant find skin-on belly around here any more. A few years back I could and preferred it to skin-off. After hot smoked to 160 interior, you can skin it like you would a fish filet, provided you have a nice, sharp and long knife.

 

[1MoreFord]

I've never skinned a pork belly but based upon skinning animals I'd go for something like this skinning knife.

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culin...354&sprefix=skinning+knife,aps,96&sr=8-5&th=1

 

[halfcocked]

I've never skinned a pork belly but based upon skinning animals I'd go for something like this skinning knife.

https://www.amazon.com/Mercer-Culin...354&sprefix=skinning+knife,aps,96&sr=8-5&th=1

For skinning large sections of raw meat or dressing an animal I would go with this but for taking the skin of a whole smoked pork belly I think a long straight blade that reaches across the entire slab is the way to go.