Italian Inspired Passata Braised Pork Belly Recipe

Enjoy This Savory and Tender Braised Pork Belly with Tomato Passata: A Perfect Dish for the Dinner

Today, I will share a recipe for making a good braised pork belly with passata tomato sauce in Italian cooking style. Passata sauce comes from Italy. It would be guilty not to use that in this recipe. 

Besides that, I will be using dry thyme and garlic to spice up the dish. Thyme and garlic are other herbs used heavily in Italian cuisine. It does not have to be complicated while making an international cuisine. 

Finally, I Have a confession to make; I love Italian food. I am currently on a low-carb diet but was a regular customer at Italian restaurants before that. I love their tomato dish, Bolognese, tomato soup, tomato on bread, and tomato pasta. 

The other day, we are braising pork belly in Chinese Style. Today, we are cooking Italian. Let’s do it.

Ingredients to Braise Pork Belly

• Pork Belly 1 kg
  
  
• Passata tomato 400ml
  
  
• Salt 1 and half teaspoon
  
  
• Black pepper 1 teaspoon
  
  
• Sugar or Erythritol  5 teaspoons
  
  
• Garlic 40 gram
  
  
• Onion 200-gram
  
  
• Dried Thyme 1 teaspoon 
  
  
• Chicken broth or water 400ml

   

What is Passata tomato sauce?

Passata is a tomato puree made from fresh, in-season tomatoes often used as a base for pasta sauces, soups, stews, and other dishes. It is made by crushing tomatoes and straining them to remove the seeds and skins. Passata is typically thinner than tomato sauce and has a more intense tomato flavor.

What can I use instead of Passata?

• Tomato purée: You can use tomato purée instead of Passata. It is a thick paste made from strained tomatoes. You may need to add some water or broth to thin it out to the right consistency.

• Canned tomatoes: You can also use canned tomatoes instead of Passata. They are usually whole or chopped, but you can blend them to make them smooth. You may also need to add some water or broth to thin them out to the right consistency.

How to Cook Italian Passata Tomato Braised Pork Belly

Instructions

1. Let’s start by cutting onion and garlic. And cut the pork belly into about 1 inch thick.
   
   
2. Pour one tablespoon of cooking oil. Pan-fry the pork belly on both sides with high heat until golden brown. I must do them in a few batches as my pan only fits some pork belly.
   
   

   
   
   

    

3. Scope out excess oil. Leave a little bit of oil on the skillet. Now, on medium-low heat, start to stir-fry the onion for 2 minutes. Add garlic, and stir gently with the onion. Notes: You will notice the brown bit that stick on the wok. It is 100% edible as long as it is not burning black. Check out my “Comprehensive guide to braise pork belly” for more braising information.
   
   

    

4. Time to deglaze. Put one tablespoon of chicken broth. As you can see, the broth is in gelatin, taken out fresh from the fridge. The chicken broth takes a very long time to make. If you don’t have one, use water. It will work just fine. The brown bits will come off.
   
   

   

    

5. Now, add all the seared meat back.
   
   

   

    

6. Time to add our main sauce, Passata Tomato Sauce, and the chicken broth.

   

    

7. Add other ingredients: Dried Thyme, Sugar, Salt, and Pepper. Don’t worry too much if the proportion needs to be corrected. You can always taste and add at a later cooking stage. Remember to taste before you conclude a dish.

    

8. Cover the pan and simmer for one hour and fifteen minutes.

   

    

9. Done. Sauce reduced to perfection. 

Tips

Remember, the most crucial thing in braising is taking my ingredient proportion as a rough guide. This happened to me long ago; I followed the recipe book to the exact formula, wondering why it did not taste good. So, You have to taste it. You have to add ingredients in small increments, especially salt. Too much salt will kill the taste. Salt taste as you go.

What would you like to Serve with the Passata Braised Pork Belly?

Rice: Pork belly, especially this dish, works so well with the rice.

Pasta: Are you crazy? I know. I know. This sounds weird. Have you ever eaten pork belly pasta in a restaurant?! I can’t find any in my country or the restaurant I worked for. 

They are both starchy. The tender and flavorful pork belly will complement the starchy rice or pasta, and the sauce will add a touch of richness and complexity. Best combination ever. You can read more about what to serve with braised pork belly.

Konjac: This is suitable for low-carb.

Key Takeaways for Italian Passata Braised Pork Belly

• The most important thing is to salt incrementally to avoid being too salty. 
• The time to braise might vary too. The pork belly is still hard. You could take a bite or use a fork to poke it.
• Sugar can be replaced with erythritol, monk fruit extract, etc. 
• Passata sauce could be easily replaced by using tomato puree.
• You may want to troubleshoot your tough meat here if your pork belly is still tough.

Enjoy your night with this excellent braised pork belly dish with pasta or rice. Let me know if you are a big fan of Italian food and like going to Italian restaurants too.