Entremeada in the Air FryerGarlic Pork Belly

Entremeada is sliced pork belly, and in Portugal it's a fixture of every summer churrasco. The slices are marinated in garlic, paprika and wine, grilled until the fat turns crisp, and served with rice, beans or a salad.

The air fryer is ideal for this: the fat renders out and drips away, and the edges turn crunchy.

The recipe

Entremeada in the Air FryerGarlic Pork Belly

Thin slices of pork belly marinated in garlic, paprika and white wine, crisped in the air fryer. A Portuguese barbecue favourite, ready in 15 minutes.

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Prep10 min

Cook15 min

Total25 min

Serves4

Ingredients

MetricUS

Serves

4

½×1×2×3×

• 800 g pork belly, rind removed, cut into 1 cm slices
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• Black pepper
• Lemon wedges to serve

Method

1. Mix the garlic, paprika, wine, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Add the pork slices and turn to coat. Marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
2. Lift the slices out of the marinade and pat them dry, so they crisp instead of steam.
3. Lay them in the basket in a single layer. Don't overlap them.
4. Air fry at 200 °C for 12–15 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and crisp at the edges. Pour off the fat between batches.
5. Serve with lemon wedges, white rice, black-eyed bean salad or a tomato and onion salad.

Notes

Clear ticks

Tap ingredients and steps to tick them off. Scaling changes the quantities at the start of each line; check the rest by eye.

Black-eyed bean salad

Toss a tin of drained black-eyed beans with chopped red onion, parsley, a grated hard-boiled egg, olive oil and vinegar. It's the classic partner for grilled pork and fish in Portugal.

From the shop

What you’ll need

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Cosori TurboBlaze 6 Qt Air Fryer

One of Amazon's best-selling air fryers. The 6 Qt basket fits a batch of pastéis de bacalhau or chicken thighs for four, and the ceramic coating is PFAS-free.

Tip: Size is what matters for Portuguese cooking: 5.5–6 Qt feeds 2–4 people in one batch.

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Amazon best seller

Alpha Grillers instant-read thermometer

Takes the guesswork out of piri-piri chicken and bifanas: 74 °C in the thickest part and the chicken is done.

Tip: Check the thickest piece, away from the bone.

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Portuguese

Piri-piri chillies from Portugal

Whole dried bird's-eye chillies, the heat behind frango piri-piri and the bottle of chilli oil on every Portuguese table.

Tip: Two packs last a year. Crush them as you need them.

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