Crispy Pork Belly Roast
Crispy Pork Belly Roast is a British oven roast focused on achieving a perfectly shattered crackling atop tender, slow-rendered meat. The skin is scored in tight parallel lines and rubbed with coarse salt, then left uncovered in the refrigerator overnight to draw out surface moisture - the first condition for crackling that actually cracks. The initial thirty minutes at 230 degrees Celsius or higher blisters the skin and sets its structure, after which the temperature drops to 160 degrees to slowly melt the internal fat layer, leaving the meat soft and the skin glass-crisp. Garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs placed beneath the belly perfume the meat from below as the oven heat circulates. The rendered pan juices are deglazed to make a quick gravy that carries the pork's own flavor. A rest of at least ten minutes before slicing is essential to keep the juices locked inside the meat.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Score the skin at 1cm intervals with a sharp knife.
- 2
Rub coarse salt firmly into the score lines.
- 3
Refrigerate uncovered 8 hours to dry the skin.
- 4
Roast at 220C for 30 minutes, reduce to 180C for 80 minutes.
- 5
If crackling is not crispy, broil 5 more minutes.
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