Slow roasted pork belly with crackling

This recipe is not for the faint heartened! It takes overnight preparation and 3 hours of tender roasting care to make the perfect crackling; not to mention the calories that you will be putting on. But hey, life is too short to waste it on bad tasting calories so make sure it is really good before biting into it. This slow roasted pork belly is perfect for Sunday family roast or cut and served in individual portions for a fine dining experience at home. Cooked this for the Chiu family dinner on Sunday and it seemed to have pleased everyone in the family especially my father-in-law who gave a reassuring nod of approval after he has tasted it...I think!

At a decent restaurant, a small portion of this delicious and sinful piece of pork belly will set you back $25-$38. I bought 1 kg of pork belly from a good butcher for only $20. Now on with the recipe!

Preparation
1. Score the skin of the pork belly into cubes (1kg serves 6 persons)
2. Season whole pork belly thoroughly with salt & pepper.
3. Make sure you massage salt & pepper into the cracks that you have scored on the pork belly skin
4. Use hairdryer (yes, a hairdryer!) to blow dry the skin for 15-20mins
5. Set aside on a plate, uncovered & leave it in the fridge for min 6 hours or better still, overnight

Roasting
6. Slice 3 bulbs of garlic into halves & place them in a roasting tray
7. Lay handful of thyme on halved garlic bulbs & drizzle with olive oil
8. Remove pork belly from fridge, rub olive oil all over & place it on top of garlic bulbs & herbs
9. Heat oven to 250C & shove pork belly in for 30-40mins
10. Remove pork belly & pour 2 glasses of white wine into tray. Be careful not to splatter onto skin
11. Turn oven down to 170C & roast for another 2 hours
12. Turn the oven back up to 250C to perfect the crackling for 15mins
13. Remove pork belly &  set aside

Sauce
14. Remove any charred bits & deglaze the roasting pan with sherry vinegar
15. Add a cup of chicken stock & bring it to a boil
16. Add teaspoon of creme fraiche to thicken the sauce

The key to perfectly crisp pork crackling is to keep the pork belly skin as dry as possible and hence the need for the hairdryer and overnight refrigeration treatment. This is not a dish that you would eat often but if you do try it, make sure the calories are worth it! Serving it on a bed or caramelised onions and carrots will help to mitigate the guilt a bit. Enjoy and cook with lots of love! Have a super blessed long weekend!

Prep time: 30mins     Cook time: 3hrs     Level: Tok Kong!