Uncle Pat shared this slow cooker trick with me last spring out by the garden fence, and I’ve been a little bit obsessed ever since. It’s the kind of old-fashioned, no-fuss cooking that fits right into our Midwestern rhythm: you tuck a beautiful slab of pork belly into the slow cooker in the morning, pour over clover honey and a splash of soy, and let time do the rest. By supper, the meat is meltingly tender, the fat is rendered and silky, and a quick blast in the oven gives you those dark, sticky, crisp-edged slices that make everyone hover around the pan. Just three ingredients, nothing fancy, but it tastes like something your grandmother would have proudly set out for Sunday dinner.
Serve the honey-glazed pork belly in thick slices piled onto a warm platter, spooning the extra drippings over the top. It’s wonderful with simple Midwestern sides like buttery mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, or a pan of scalloped potatoes. A crisp coleslaw or vinegar-dressed cucumber salad helps cut the richness, and a basket of dinner rolls or cornbread is perfect for sopping up the amber-colored juices. For something a little more casual, tuck slices into soft buns with pickles, or lay them over a bed of steamed white rice to catch every last drop of that sticky clover honey glaze.
Slow Cooker 3-Ingredient Clover Honey Pork BellyServings: 6
Ingredients
3 to 3 1/2 pounds pork belly, skin removed, left in one slab
1 cup clover honey
1/3 cup soy sauce (regular or low-sodium)
Directions
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside for later. This will make cleanup easier once you finish the pork belly under the broiler.
Trim any tough skin from the pork belly if it’s still attached, but leave a good layer of fat. Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels so the glaze will cling nicely.
Score the fat side of the pork belly in a shallow crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut all the way through to the meat. This helps the fat render and lets the honey-soy mixture soak in.
Place the pork belly slab into the slow cooker, fat side up, so the fat can baste the meat as it cooks.
In a small bowl, stir together the clover honey and soy sauce until well combined. The mixture will be thick and glossy, like a loose syrup.
Pour the honey-soy mixture evenly over the pork belly, lifting the meat slightly with a fork or tongs so some of the liquid can run underneath. Spoon some of the mixture over the top so the fat is well coated.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until the pork belly is very tender when pierced with a fork. It should hold together but yield easily, with plenty of rendered fat and dark, syrupy juices in the bottom.
About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, preheat your oven broiler to high and adjust the rack so the pork belly will sit about 6 inches below the heating element.
Carefully lift the cooked pork belly out of the slow cooker and transfer it to the foil-lined baking sheet, fat side up. It will be very tender, so use two spatulas or a wide spatula and tongs to keep it from falling apart.
Spoon some of the thickened honey-soy drippings from the slow cooker over the top of the pork belly, letting them run down the sides. Reserve the rest of the drippings in a small bowl or measuring cup for serving.
Slide the baking sheet under the broiler and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, watching closely, until the fat edges are bubbling and crisp and the top has turned a dark, sticky golden brown. Rotate the pan once or twice if needed so it browns evenly, but do not walk away—the sugars in the honey can go from perfect to burnt quickly.
Remove the pork belly from the oven and let it rest on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes so the juices settle and the glaze thickens slightly.
Transfer the slab to a cutting board and slice it crosswise into thick pieces, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. Arrange the slices back on the foil-lined baking sheet or on a serving platter, letting the rendered fat and honey glaze drip around them.
Spoon additional warm honey-soy drippings over the sliced pork belly so each piece glistens with a rich, amber-colored glaze. If you like a touch of bite, you can sprinkle a little coarse black pepper on top right before serving.
Serve the pork belly hot, passing any remaining drippings at the table for folks who want an extra spoonful over their slices or side dishes.
Variations & Tips
For a little more depth without adding extra ingredients, you can play with what you already have: use low-sodium soy sauce if you prefer things less salty, or let the honey caramelize a bit longer under the broiler for a deeper, almost smoky sweetness. If your pork belly is very thick, cut it into two long pieces before slow cooking so it cooks more evenly and slices more neatly. To make this ahead, cook the pork belly in the slow cooker a day in advance, chill it in its juices, and then rewarm gently and finish under the broiler just before serving; the chilling step actually makes it easier to slice cleanly. If your slow cooker runs hot, check the pork belly around the 5-hour mark so it doesn’t overcook and fall apart when you try to transfer it. Leftovers reheat nicely in a skillet over medium heat until the edges crisp back up, or you can dice them and toss into fried rice, scrambled eggs, or warm potato salad for a very indulgent second-day treat.
