Portuguese smoked pork belly (barriga fumada): what it is, how to cook it and where to buy it

By Tiago Reis, co-founder of Ra-Ro · View profile

About a 5 minute read

Barriga fumada is Portuguese smoked pork belly: the streaky cut with layers of meat and fat, salted and then smoked in the fumeiro, the smokehouse. It is one of the building blocks of traditional Portuguese cooking. It flavours cozido à portuguesa, feijoada and bean and cabbage stew, and it is also eaten grilled or fried in thin slices. You can buy it from butchers, markets and regional food shops, or online, like the Smoked Pork Belly from Quinta dos Fumeiros in Ponte de Lima.

Smoked pork belly in short

• What it is: pork belly with alternating meat and fat, salted and smoked.
• What it is for: cozido, feijoada, bean and cabbage stew, oven rice, or grilled in slices.
• Difference from smoked lard: toucinho fumado is almost all fat; belly has streaks of meat.
• Before cooking: if it is very salty, soak or blanch it first.
• At Ra-Ro: the Smoked Pork Belly from Quinta dos Fumeiros, for €9.50.

What barriga fumada is

It is the cut from the underside of the pig, between the ribs and the leg, the one that shows stripes of meat and fat when you slice it. After salting, the piece goes into the smokehouse, where it takes on colour, aroma and a firmer rind. For centuries salt and smoke were how families kept the meat from the winter pig slaughter for the rest of the year, and they are still what gives it its flavour. We explain the process in more detail in Fumeiro do Minho: what it is and how it is made, and the smokehouse vocabulary is in our fumeiro glossary.

Smoked pork belly, smoked lard and bacon: the difference

• Barriga fumada: a whole piece or a chunk, with alternating meat and fat. It is simmered in pot dishes or sliced for grilling.
• Toucinho fumado: mostly fat, with little or no meat. It adds fat and flavour to sautéed bases, bean stews and sausages.
• Bacon: usually cured and smoked belly sold ready sliced thin or diced. The raw material is similar; the cut, the cure and the way it is sold differ.

In practice, in a traditional recipe that calls for barriga fumada, smoked lard gives more fat and less meat, and sliced bacon falls apart faster in long cooking.

How to cook smoked pork belly

First, taste a small piece. If it is very salty, soak it in cold water for a few hours, or blanch it: put it in cold water, bring to the boil, pour that water away and carry on with fresh water. Then always cook it over a low heat, so the fat melts slowly and the meat turns tender.

• Cozido à portuguesa: the belly simmers whole with the other meats and sausages. Take it out when a fork goes in easily, and use the broth to cook the cabbage, potatoes and carrots.
• Feijoada: dice it and brown it in the onion base before adding the beans, or cook it with the beans and cut it at the end.
• Bean and cabbage stew: a northern winter dish in which the belly cooks with the beans and cabbage and gives body to the broth.
• Grilled or fried: in thin slices, in a very hot dry pan or over embers, until the fat is crisp. Serve with corn bread and turnip greens or a salad.
• In rice: for an oven rice with sausages, the belly is cooked first and the rice is made in that broth, finishing in the oven.

For oven and pot dishes, clay holds the heat well. The Black Clay Casserole (€56.20) and the Black Clay Pot (€46.20), from Gondar, are made for this; before first use they need curing, as we explain in Gondar black clay: how to cure the casserole and the pot. The Black Clay Bowl (€36.20) is good for seasoning and serving.

How to cut and store it

• Cutting: with a very sharp knife, in thin slices for grilling and in cubes or large chunks for simmering. The rind can stay on to add gelatine to the broth, or be removed first.
• Storing: in the fridge, wrapped in baking paper or a clean cloth, away from strong smelling food.
• Freezing: possible, ideally cut into portions so you only take out what you need.
• Always check the label: the producer's storage and use by instructions are the ones that count.

Where to buy smoked pork belly

In Portugal you find it at butchers, markets and smoked meat fairs, especially in the north and the interior, and in regional food shops. At Ra-Ro we sell the Smoked Pork Belly (€9.50) from Quinta dos Fumeiros, in Ponte de Lima, in the Minho. The business belongs to Deolinda, who learned the recipes and the running of the business from her mother, Aurora, and who looks for traditional flavours for today's taste.

From the same house come the Onion Chouriço (€6.40), good in cozido and feijoada, the Pork Neck with Senra Cheese (€12.90), the Turkey Ham (€12.80) and the Ponte de Lima Folar (€15.20). For a whole table, the Ponte de Lima Fumeiro Pack (€54.18) brings together the pork neck, the turkey ham, the onion chouriço and the folar.

Frequently asked questions

What is barriga fumada?

It is Portuguese smoked pork belly, with layers of meat and fat, salted and smoked. It goes into cozido à portuguesa, feijoada and bean and cabbage stew, or is grilled in slices.

What is the difference between smoked pork belly and smoked lard?

Smoked pork belly has alternating meat and fat; smoked lard (toucinho fumado) is almost all fat and is used mainly to add flavour and fat to dishes.

Is barriga fumada the same as bacon?

The raw material is similar, but bacon is usually sold ready sliced or diced, with a different cure. Traditional barriga fumada is sold as a piece and stands up better to long cooking.

Do you need to soak smoked pork belly?

Only if it is very salty. Then soak it in cold water for a few hours or blanch it, throwing away the first cooking water.

How do you store smoked pork belly?

In the fridge, wrapped in baking paper or a cloth, and it can be frozen in portions. Always follow the storage instructions on the producer's label.

Where can I buy Portuguese smoked pork belly?

From butchers, markets and regional food shops in Portugal, or online at Ra-Ro, which sells the Smoked Pork Belly from Quinta dos Fumeiros, Ponte de Lima, for €9.50.