the best
pork
belly
There is absolutely no way of cooking the perfect pork belly without having to clean your oven afterwards. The high temperature required to crisp the crackle presents the sad inevitably that your oven will be splattered with oil and fat.
If you cook without cleaning. especially at high temperatures, the oven will smoke and spoil whatever it is that you are cooking.
Is it worth it…we think so!
The other warning is that this roast pork is so delicious I always allow 350g – 400g per person, thinking, that just maybe, there will be some left overs. There is some weight loss with the fat rendering out…but, REALLY, it is irresistibly delicious.
FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2017….UPDATED DECEMBER 5, 2024
pictured above
roasted pork belly with new seasons garlic that has been crisped in the rendered pork fat
at least two
days before
you want to
cook
½ pork belly serves 4, full serves 8
cooking time 1.5 – 2 hours plus resting time before cutting 30 minutes
When you get to the day of cooking the belly, take the belly out of the fridge at least one [two in winter] hours prior to starting the cooking process.
to prepare the belly for drying in the fridge
about 1.5L boiling water
EVO
quality fine salt…we use rock salt that has been blitzed in the Thermo
black pepper, freshly ground
at the cooking stage
1 head of local garlic [not shooting], sliced through horizontally into three
essential equipment
Very sharped beaked knife, also called a turning knife or a pork pricker [available from most Chinese grocers click here]
wire rack if you are using the boiling water
Make sure your sin is very clean. Put the rack in your sink and sit the pork skin side up on the rack. Set a meat board up. Pour boiling water all over the skin.
Working quickly to take advantage of the skin softened with the boiling water. Dry the skin with a clean cloth and transfer it to your chopping board. Using the pork pricker, prick the skin evenly all over.
Return the pork to the rack and pour boiling water over it again. Immediately dry it and return it to and working from the centre to the edge, score the skin about 5mm apart or prick the skin all over.plus
Pour a really good splash of EVO into your baking dish and place the belly into the dish. Roll the belly through the oil and on the meat side season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Turn the pork belly skin side up and generously rub fine salt into the skin. Refrigerate uncovered.
to cook the
pork belly
Take the pork from the fridge at least one to two hours before your are going to cook it.
preheat oven to 220°C
Slide the garlic, cut side up, under the belly and then use your hands to squash and flatten the belly out as much as possible. This important because when the belly has uneven heights parts of the cracking will crisp quicker than others.
Put the roasting dish into the oven and fill the dish to the edge of the skin with cold water…close the door and set a timer for 30 minutes. When the timer goes baste the pork and if it is cooking unevenly rotate the dish. Top the water back up to the edge of the skin and set a timer for another 30 minutes.
Baste [rotate if required to maintain even cooking] and set a timer for another 30 minutes. At the 90 minutes, the crackling should be perfectly blistered…sometimes it will be ready before the 90 minutes…so common sense it required.
If the crackling starts to burn in places you can slow this down by giving it a good spray with water and covering the section with foil.
Turn the heat down to 120°C and cook for a further 30 minutes….open the oven door and wedge a tea towel in the door to allow the steam to escape and rest for 30 minutes to allow the meat to firm up before slicing and serving it.
serving hot
Using the scoring cuts as a guide slice the belly and serve on a warm plate. Sauce is otpional, with endless options; we also like a range of mustards and quality mustard fruits.
room temperature
When the 30 minutes rest in the oven is complete stand the baking dish on a rack and allow the belly to cool for a further 30 minutes to one hour.
cold
Cold – straight from the fridge…never!!
re-heating
We are not fans of ‘double cooked’ aka reheated and a la minute has always been our mantra. What’s wrong with cooking a belly for evening service it as a special and when it’s sold there’s no more!
But, if you must, allow the belly to cool at room temperature. Remove the crackling….this can be rewarmed in a 200°C oven.
Slice the meat, and vac in single slice thickness ….straight from the fridge in a circolator set at 70°C for 12-15 minutes.
PICTURED RIGHT HASSELBACK POTATOES,
SO EASY AND SO GOOD,
CLICK ON THE IMAGE AND SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM
a great accompaniment for roast pork belly the classic waldorf salad click on the image
essential a
pork pricker
pictured left a version of the pork pricker that is very well designed ergonomically. There are plenty of versions but this is our favourite style.
Be very careful to wash thoroughly, even maybe consider stegrilising!
ABOUT
We have 42 years history at the highest level
in the food and wine industry and the passion for our craft remains undiminished…
read more
ON cuisine-extreme
- People
- Kaaren Palmer Champagne
- Recipes
- News and Events
NEWSLETTER
to get the latest news, tips, and advice.
.
………
ann_oliver
COPYRIGHT © TEXT AND IMAGES ANN OLIVER 2024 UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED