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Evelyn's Favourite Slow-Roasted Crispy Pork Belly

Evelyn's Favourite Slow-Roasted Crispy Pork Belly

If time permits, leave the pork belly uncovered on a plate overnight in the fridge, to let the skin dry it to ensure the perfect pork crackling. If you don’t have time for this, pat the skin dry using paper towel. Your fingers should glide across the skin smoothly and there should be no tacky feel to it at all.

Set belly flesh-side up. Drizzle the flesh with oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and fennel powder. Then rub the flesh to distribute, including the sides, being sure to get right into all the cracks and crevices;

Flip the belly over so the skin side is up. Use 2 sheets of foil to make a little open box enclosing the belly tightly, while leaving the skin exposed. Fold the sides, pinch and seal the corners to encase it as snugly as you can while ensuring it won’t leak. This will make sure it doesn't dry out while cooking and help catch the pork belly fat as it melts so the flesh almost cooks like confit. 

Then place the foil-enclosed pork belly on a small (or regular) baking tray and rub the skin lightly with 1 teaspoon of oil. Then sprinkle the salt evenly across the whole surface, from edge to edge. This is essential to ensure you get a nice, bubbly and crispy crackling, rather than a rock-hard flat sheet of impenetrable skin. 

Slow roast at 140°C (120°C fan) for a total of 1 and a half hours. You want the flesh to be very tender, but not to the point that it “falls apart at a touch” and is no longer slice-able. 

At the 1 hour mark, remove the pork from the oven, tighten the foil and return the pork to the oven for a further 20 mins to half an hour. 

Remove the pork from the oven. Use two forks to gently prise apart the meat on the side of the belly to ensure it comes apart without too much effort.  

Crank oven to 240°C and put pork back in for 20 minutes, observing and rotating as needed to encourage even cooking, until the skin is golden, puffy and super-crispy. 

Rest the pork belly for 10 minutes before slicing. This is absolutely essential for the pork belly because it’s soooo juicy. 

 

Recipe inspired by recipetineats.com

 

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