This is a pork belly that’s slow-roasted so the fat renders and cooks the belly confit-style in its own fat. The result? Ridiculously juicy, impossibly tender yet still-sliceable meat, crowned with the most amazing crispy crackling of your life.
It comes down to three simple, game-changing techniques: Do NOT score the skin: Low heat followed by high heat: Keep the pork level using balls of foil.
Perfect meat, perfect crackling … Every. Single. Time!
INGREDIENTS
1kg pork belly with skin on Not scored even thickness with flat, unwrinkled skin.
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds ,
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
METHOD
Dry skin overnight: Place pork belly on a plate. Pat skin dry with paper towels. Leave uncovered in fridge overnight to dry out the skin.
Preheat oven to 140°C
Season flesh: Drizzle flesh (only) with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle over 1/2 teaspoon salt, the pepper and the ground fennel seeds. Rub all over the flesh, including on the sides, being sure you get right into all the cracks and crevices.
Wrap in foil: Place 2 pieces of foil on a work surface. Put the belly in middle of foil, skin side up. Fold the sides in to enclose the belly, forming an open box, pinching corners to seal tightly and make it as snug as possible. Place meat on a tray.
Season skin: Pat skin dry with paper towels. Rub with 1/2 teaspoon oil then sprinkle remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt evenly all over the skin surface, from edge to edge.
Place in the oven and roast for 2 and a half hours. After 1 and a half hours, remove and tighten the foil (pork will have shrunk), and continue cooking. This keeps the pork fat level up as high as possible, and the flesh protected so it stays moist.
Increase heat: Remove pork from oven, then increase heat to 240°C.
Level pork: Remove pork from foil and place on a rack set over a tray. Use scrunched up balls of foil stuffed under pork to prop up so the skin surface is as level and horizontal as possible.
Roast for 30 minutes on high heat. Place the pork back in the oven for 30 minutes, rotating after 15 minutes as needed, until the crackling is deep golden, puffy and crispy all over. If some patches are browning faster, protect with foil patches.
Rest 10 minutes: Remove pork from oven. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serving: Slice and serve with Apple Sauce and Vermouth Jus, with a side of Cauliflower Puree
Original Recipe Recipetin eats
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