CRACKLING PORK BELLY
The quantity I use is not a manifestation of what you should use. It’s like adding sugar to your tea. I would suggest that you mix the lemon juice with your sweet chilli sauce/fruit jam until the consistency is similar to the viscosity of cup a soup. Just pour in enough that the sauce won’t needlessly spill into the oven tray.
- 1 pork belly
- salt to taste
- olive oil or non-stick cooking spray
- Wellington’s sweet chilli sauce or fruit jam of your taste
- 30 – 50 ml lemon juice
- crushed garlic paste to your taste
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Make clefts with a knife on the bottom of the belly and pat the top of the belly dry with a paper towel.
Cut diagonal scores into the top of the belly fat (one inch apart).
Season the top with salt and rub the salt into the scores.
Rub a thin layer of olive oil or spray non-stick cooking spray on the bottom of the belly.
Place the belly on foil in an oven tray.
Fold the sides of the foil upwards to cover the sides of the belly, up until just below the top skin, as illustrated in photo nr 2.
Mix the chilli sauce or jam with the lemon juice and the garlic paste and pour it on the inside of the foil (This will keep the meat tender and succulent and the clefts will soak up all the appetizing flavours).
Roast the pork belly for approximately one hour at 180ºC and thereafter turn the temperature on the highest setting and grill the belly until the fat turns crispy to desired texture.
Recipe and photos: Adrian Carolissen
