The difference in pork belly after I switched to wet-aging for 10 days

I used to just break down my bellies same-day and never really noticed how tough they were until a buddy convinced me to try wet-aging them for a week and a half. The first slab I pulled out after day 10 was noticeably more tender when I ran my knife through it, and the fat rendered way better on the grill. I'm kicking myself for not doing this sooner honestly... anyone else notice a big texture shift with longer aging on certain cuts?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_bell6d agoMost Upvoted

Man, did you notice a bigger difference in the fat itself or the meat?

the_holly6d ago

That lardo part right between the skin and the meat was what surprised me most. It went from this firm waxy strip to something that melted like butter when it hit the pan. But the biggest change nobody talks about is the color. After 45 days wet aged that fat turned this slightly golden shade instead of the usual white. It changed how it rendered too, crackled up way faster and left almost no greasy residue. The meat got tender sure, but that fat transformation was the real show.

felixhenderson6d ago

Used to think wet aging was mostly hype, but one belly changed my mind totally. Meat got way softer and that fat just turned buttery on the grill.