crackling

Crispy Pork Belly

serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS:

4 lbs whole pork belly slab, sliced lengthwise into 4 pieces 

distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup Kosher salt

For the marinade:

juice of 1 lemon

1/8 cup honey

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

METHOD:

1. Marinate the pork belly the night before. In a shallow dish large enough to hold the slab of pork belly, combine marinade ingredients.

2. Place pork belly in dish with the skin side up. Rub skin with vinegar and pat a layer of Kosher salt on top. Cover with foil and marinate in fridge overnight. 

3. The next morning, remove pork belly from the fridge and set aside the foil cover for a later use. With the pork still in the marinade dish, use a piece of paper towel and remove the salt. It’s okay if some of the salt falls into the marinade.

4. Transfer the pork belly to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to score and prick the pork belly skin; about a 1/4 inch apart. Cut through the skin and fat, but not into the meat. Then cut each of the 4 pieces of pork belly in half so that you have 8 fat pieces.

5. Place the pork belly back in the marinade dish uncovered and return to the fridge so it can rest until ready to roast later, about 6 hours or more.

6. On a baking sheet large enough to hold the pork belly, place the unused foil on top. Add a wire rack on top of the foil. Set aside. 

7. Preheat oven to 350F (180C or 170C Fan). Transfer pork belly from marinade dish and place on top of the wire rack with the skin side up. Roast for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and golden brown all over.

8. Increase heat to 425F (220C or 210C Fan) and roast for another 20-30 minutes until the skin is extra crispy. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  

9. Slice thinly, using the cuts as guides. Serve with crunchy vegetables, lettuce wraps, pickled onions, kimchi, Dijon mustard and/or other preferred condiments to offset the richness of the meat.