Roasted Pork Belly

Last Updated February 1, 2020
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Pork Belly is one of the most forgiving meats to roast. It’s flavorful, moist, and easy to make ahead. This preparation is excellent served as a small starter, main course or thinly sliced, crisped, and served in tacos or a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich.  

Roasting the pork belly on a bed of fennel, cardamom, and star anise gives it a subtle complexity that elevates the flavors of the belly, allowing for use in several preparations.

Fennel, bay leaves, garlic, cardamom, star anise and half the fennel seeds into a hot roasting tray on the stove-top with a little oil.
Pork, skin side down
Season the skin with salt and fennel seeds
Roasted pork belly
Add mustard and whisk sauce
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Roasted Pork Belly

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Fennel, cardamom, and star anise,  gives the pork belly a subtle, yet elevated complexity.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1kg pork belly
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and roughly sliced
  • 4 fresh bay leaves
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
  • 1 tsp cardamom pods, bashed
  • 4 star anise
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • Olive oil
  • 325ml white wine
  • 500–750ml chicken stock (depending on the size of your pan)
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
  2. Score the pork belly skin diagonally in a diamond pattern at 1½ cm intervals. Season generously with salt and pepper, rubbing it well into the skin.
  3. Put the fennel, bay leaves, garlic, cardamom, star anise and half the fennel seeds into a hot roasting tray on the stove-top with a little oil and heat for about 2 minutes until aromatic. Push to the side of the tray, then add the pork, skin side down, and cook for at least 5 minutes until it turns golden brown. Turn the pork over, season the skin again with salt and sprinkle with the remaining fennel seeds. Pour in the wine to de-glaze the pan, scraping up the bits from the bottom (be careful not to get the skin of the pork wet). Bring to the boil, then pour in enough stock to come up to the bottom layer of fat just below the skin and allow to boil again.
  4. Transfer the tray to the preheated oven and cook for 2½ hours.
  5. Transfer the meat to a warm plate and set aside to rest. Meanwhile, spoon off any excess fat in the roasting tray or drag a slice of bread along the surface of the cooking juices to absorb it. Heat the tray on the stove-top, adding the mustard. Mix in with a whisk, then taste and adjust the flavors as necessary. Remove the star anise and cardamom pods and pour the sauce into a jug. Serve the rested pork with the sauce alongside.

Notes

Inspired By: Gordon Ramsay

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