SUCCULENT SLOW-ROASTED PORK BELLY WITH CRISPY CRACKLING

• 1 kg pork belly
• 3 medium onions, or peeled and cored green apples
• 3 teaspoons salt flakes
• 5 tablespoons oil
• For the special roast pork belly sauce:
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 3 star anise
• ½ cinnamon stick
• the pan juices
• juice from 1 orange
• 3 slices of orange peel
• 1 cup chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste

Take two long sheets of foil and put in baking dish.
Cut peeled onions or peeled apples in half and place on foil. Cut them lengthwise so that the pork is resting on flat discs of onions or apples, and so that your guests get half of an onion or apple each.
Remove all moisture from pork rind by dabbing with high-grade paper towel. This will ensure the pork rind crackles perfectly. Mix salt flakes and oil and rub all over pork belly, including the rind. Work into the crevices all over the pork. Place pork, rind side up, on top of apples or onions.
Gather up foil so that is surrounds the pork but leaves the top skin rind exposed. The foil should make a close nest around the pork to prevent it from drying out and gather the juices while it’s cooking, but at the same time allow the pork rind to crackle.
Place in oven preheated to 150°C and cook for 3 hours. Turn oven temp down to 140°C and cook for another hour. Remove from oven and pour out juices and set aside for the sauce/if its only fat, do not use it. Do not baste the pork at any time while cooking.
Finally, before serving, place the pork back into oven and cook at 220°C for another 20 mins. This will bring the crackling up to perfection.

To make the special roast pork belly sauce; in a saucepan mix the brown sugar, red wine vinegar, star anise, cinnamon stick and pan juices/if using. Bring to boil and simmer until syrupy – approx 5 min.
Add juice from the orange, the orange peel and chicken stock. Bring back to boil, simmer until reduces. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove orange rind, star anise and cinnamon stick before serving.

You can also use the pan juices to make traditional savoury gravy by mixing the juices with hot water in a saucepan and use cornflower to thicken.

Tip:
The secret to the crackling is to:
Get your butcher to score the rind quite finely.
Scald the rind with boiling water.
Ensure the rind is free of moisture, and don’t cover or baste the pork rind at any time while it is cooking in the oven.

You will get excellent result if you follow the cooking temperatures – it is important that your oven is at the right temperature.

Egchef says:
Die resep is voorwaar die lekkerste, sappigste ens. Die tye en temperatuur volgens resep gevolg.

Photo and recipe: Elize de Kock

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