Even a reluctant carnivore will be transformed into an enthusiastic carnivore when a properly-cooked pork belly is presented. The ribbons of fat turn into lush, juicy bites of flavor and the crispy, crackly pork skin, bubbled to perfection, is the thing you never knew your teeth were wishing they could chomp into. Crunch, crunch, crunch.
There are three things to remember when you are roasting a pork belly:
1) Score the skin into thin strips – as thin as you can get them.
2) The pork belly will not be perfectly level when sitting on just the pan. It will be high on one side and low on the other. You’ll need to get the skin as level as possible so it crackles evenly. Try to get the skin as level as you can by propping up the pork belly by vegetables creatively stacked. If you have a child who is particularly interested in legos or engineering, then you’ll have a great helper. Stack the onion slices, make supports with carrots halved lengthwise, buttress the whole thing with celery stalks or any combination of the former that works for you.
3) You’ll need to roast your pork belly in two sessions. The first session should be at 400°F with the oven on a low rack, and the second roast is actually a broil, with the pan as high up as you can get it without making a mess of your oven.
Actually, on the other hand, if your oven isn’t a mess, are you even cooking at all?
I digress.
Photo Caption: Pork belly on a good foundation.
Crackly-Topped Roasted Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 1 pork belly 1.5 to 3 lbs
- 1 onion peeled and chopped into thick rounds
- 2 carrots sliced lengthwise
- 2 celery ribs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspooon pepper
- 1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Rub all sizes of the pork belly with salt and pepper.
- Score the skin of the pork belly into thin strips. I find that using a serrated knife works well.
- On a sheet pan, arrange the vegetables into a formation where the pork belly, when laid on them, is flat on the top. This will shift a little while roasting, so stand by with tongs and a fork (and potholders) to adjust as needed.
- Rest the pork belly on your make-shift roasting rack. Brush the top of the pork belly with olive oil.
- Roast at 400°F for 45-50 minutes on the lowest rack of your oven.
- After the initial roast, brush the skin of the pork belly with olive oil and sprinkle on a little more salt. Move the oven rack to the highest point where the roast will still fit under the broiler.
- Broil until the skin is as golden and crackly as you'd like it to be. About 15 more minutes.
- Be sure the internal temperature of the pork roast is at least 145°F (63°C).
- Serve this pork belly in any way you'd like it. I actually prefer it as a type of appetizer, by slicing the bits off piece by piece and enjoying the crackling goodness of it. It's so rich, it's really one of those things that is best served in little bits and bites.
