A crispy roasted pork belly can go from good to phenomenal when done just right. This recipe yields a super moist and beautifully spiced belly with a light and crispy crackling top – needing little else but a glass of elegant Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc to pair with. If you do love gravy, we’ve also given a recipe for a quick and effortless gravy to serve with the belly, along with your choice of mashed potatoes or butternut puree.
Fennel-roasted pork belly with crispy crackling
Ingredients for the belly: 1.2kg boneless pork belly (choose a meaty cut), 2 Tbsp olive oil (plus extra for later), 1 tsp ground fennel /barishap, salt and pepper, to taste.
Ingredients for the quick gravy: 3 Tbsp butter, 3 Tbsp cake flour, 3 to 4 tsp stock powder (beef and chicken mixture works well) 1.5 cups (375 ml) water, a dash of soy sauce, to taste.
Optionals to serve: roasted fennel or other roasted vegetables, butternut puree, or mashed potato.
To prepare the belly: If your belly’s skin side is not scored already, use a very sharp knife or an NT cutter to score the skin side, preferably in the direction that you will be cutting the meat later (don’t score too deep). Turn the belly over and season the flesh side with olive oil, fennel, salt & pepper, rubbing it into the meat. Place the belly skin-side up on a sheet of foil (about 10 cm wider than the belly on each side), then fold the foil tightly against the sides of the belly, forming a tight foil tray to expose the skin side only and covering the sides and bottom of the belly. Now place the belly in the fridge for the skin side to dry out overnight. When ready to roast, remove from the fridge and leave for 20-30 minutes to return to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 160 C. Place the foil tray with belly in a roasting tray and roast for 1.5 hours. Remove from the oven – the meat will shrink slightly while roasting, so tighten the foil sides a little (to create a confit roasting effect) and roast for an additional 1 hour. Remove from the oven. 30 minutes before serving, turn up the heat to 230 C. Remove the belly from the foil “tray” and place it on a roasting rack placed on top of a foil-lined roasting tray (prop the belly up from underneath with a small ball of foil to make the skin surface as level as possible.) Roast the belly in the top 3rd of the oven for 15-25 minutes until the crackling is puffed up and golden brown, then remove and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving, carved, with your choice of sides and gravy.
For the gravy: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour, stirring. Cook for 1 minute, then add the stock powder and stir. Add the water in a stream, whisking vigorously until no lumps remain – stop adding water when you have reached your desired consistency. Continue cooking until the mixture thickens, then simmer over low heat for a minute or 2. Season with a dash of soy sauce, then set aside.
