Crispy Slow-cooked Pork Belly and Gravy

Method

How it goes together

1. 01

   Step 1

   Dry the skin overnight (optional but recommended) – Remove the pork from its packaging, place it on a plate or chopping board and pat the skin dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Place it in the fridge, uncovered, skin-side up, and leave for 6 hours (minimum) or up to 24 hours (best). If you don’t have time to air-dry, you can still make this recipe – it will still produce amazing crackling, just not quite as puffy as the photos.

   Moisture in the rind turns to steam and steams the skin instead of letting it puff. A dry, leathery surface is what lets the fat blister the rind up into crackling.

2. 02

   Step 2

   Preheat the oven – Preheat the oven to 240°C (475°F) (all oven types). It needs to be very hot, so don’t rush this step – most ovens need a good 20 minutes to heat properly.

3. 03

   Step 3

   Prepare the pork rub – Remove the pork from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Pat the skin dry again with a paper towel to remove any fresh moisture (even if you air-dried it overnight). Turn the pork over so it’s skin-side down. Drizzle the flesh (not the skin) with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, fennel seeds and pepper. Use your hands to coat the flesh of the pork (including the sides).

   Oil and salt belong on the flesh only at this stage; fennel and pepper on the meat season it from the outside in, while keeping the rind clear of anything wet.

4. 04

   Step 4

   Build the vegetable base – Arrange the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a large, deep roasting pan. Place the pork, flesh-side down, on top of the vegetables. Use the vegetables to prop the pork up so that it sits as level as possible – this helps the crackling form evenly.

   The vegetables act as a trivet, holding the pork out of the liquid and levelling the rind so fat and heat spread evenly instead of pooling at one end. They also become the base of the gravy.

5. 05

   Step 5

   Prepare the crackling – Pat the skin dry one more time. Rub the olive oil over the top of the skin so it’s lightly and evenly coated. Sprinkle the sea salt flakes evenly across the surface – this even layer of salt is key to crispy, puffy crackling. Don’t leave the pork sitting around with the salt on it; once salted, it needs to go straight into the oven.

   A thin, even film of oil conducts heat into the rind and the salt pulls the last surface moisture out as it hits the oven, which is what makes the skin blister rather than harden.

6. 06

   Step 6

   High-heat roast (to start the crackling) – Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 30–40 minutes, or until the skin is starting to dry out and small bubbles begin forming. It will not be fully crackling at this stage – this step simply jump-starts the process and guarantees a great result later.

   The initial blast of heat drives moisture out of the rind and starts the fat under the skin melting, setting up the puff that comes later.

7. 07

   Step 7

   Low and slow roast – Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (325°F) (140°C/275°F fan-forced). Carefully pour 750 ml (3 cups) of water into the base of the pan (not over the pork – keep the skin dry). Roast for 2 hours, or until the pork is tender when pierced through the side with a knife – adding more water, 60 ml (¼ cup) at a time, if the tray looks like it’s drying out or if the vegetables start to catch.

   The water keeps the tray below scorching point and gently steams the underside, so the belly meat and fat break down to melting tenderness while the rind above stays dry.

8. 08

   Step 8

   Finish the crackling under the oven grill (broiler) – Remove the pork from the oven. Transfer the pork belly, skin-side up, to a foil-lined baking tray with a wire rack placed on top.

   Moving the pork off the wet vegetables and onto a rack lets dry heat reach the skin from above with nothing steaming it from below.

9. 09

   Step 9

   Turn the oven grill to high – Place the pork on a high shelf and grill (broil) for 2–3 minutes, or until the skin puffs and turns golden. WATCH IT CLOSELY – crackling can go from perfect to burnt in seconds. If any spots are browning too quickly, cover them with a small piece of foil. Set the pork aside to rest for at least 15 minutes while you make the gravy.

   The fierce top heat flashes the last moisture out of the rind so it puffs and shatters, and the rest lets the meat juices settle back through the belly.

10. 10

    Step 10

    Make the gravy (the best part) – Place the original roasting pan (with the vegetables) on the stovetop over medium heat. If there is a lot of excess fat in the tray, ladle out all but 2 tablespoons. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to form a thick paste. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking as you go. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, scraping up all the golden, flavour-packed bits from the base of the tray.

    Cooking the flour into the pork fat gets rid of the raw pasty taste and gives the gravy its body, while the stock lifts all the caramelised roasting residue off the base into the sauce.

11. 11

    Step 11

    Finish the gravy – Pour the gravy through a sieve into a small saucepan, using the back of a spoon to press as much flavour out of the vegetables as possible. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

    Pressing the vegetables through the sieve pushes out the sweet roasted juices they have absorbed, so all that flavour ends up in the gravy rather than the bin.

12. 12

    Step 12

    Carve the pork belly – Place the pork belly on a clean chopping board, skin-side down (this prevents the crackling from shattering). Slice into thick pieces (about 1.5 cm/½ inch) and serve with mashed potatoes, braised cabbage, apple sauce, gravy and a sprinkle of finely chopped dill and parsley.

    Cutting from the meat side lets the knife do the work before it reaches the rind, so the crackling stays attached to the slice instead of splintering off.