Step

• 1

  In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, brown sugar, salt, five-spice powder, and garlic. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for basting the meat later. Cover it and refrigerate it.

• 2

  Pat the pork belly dry with paper towel. With the fat side of the pork belly facing up, use a sharp knife make a crosshatch pattern in the fat but not through the meat. Transfer the pork belly to a zip-top bag and add the remaining sauce, making sure to fully coat it all over. Transfer to the refrigerator and marinate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

• 3

  Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature in the marinade for 1 hour before smoking.

• 4

  Preheat your Traeger pellet grill with the lid closed to 250˚F; this will take about 15 minutes.

• 5

  Remove the pork belly from the marinade. Insert a leave-in meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meaty section of the belly, avoiding any large pockets of fat. Place the pork belly fat side up directly on the grill grate. If you like, brush with additional marinade, then discard any remaining marinade. Close the lid and cook, basting with the reserved ¼ cup marinade about every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160˚F, 1 ½ to 2 hours; the time will vary depending on the weather, your grill model, and the pork itself. Transfer the pork belly to a cutting board. (If you have remaining any marinade, you can bring it to a boil and serve it with the pork.)

  250 ˚F / 121 ˚C

  160 ˚F / 71 ˚C

• 6

  Heat 1 zone of the Traeger flat top to medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

• 7

  Place the pork belly, fat-side down, on the hot cooktop and cook until deeply golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip and continue searing until golden brown, 30 to 60 seconds (If you want to sear the edges of the pork belly as well, use tongs to hold it.)

• 8

  Return the pork belly to the cutting board, slice thinly and serve. Enjoy!