Pork Belly

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork belly
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• 6 cloves garlic (split)
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 dsp salt
• water to cover

Method

Place the pork belly skin side up in a baking pan. Cover with water. Put in 150°C oven for one hour.

Remove from oven, wash or change pan. Refill with water (but not covering the skin), adding rest of the ingredients. Cook for approximately two and a half to three hours, adding water as the level drops below the skin.

To check if done, use a pair of tongs and if the meat pulls off easily without any resistance it is ready.

You can either serve and eat straight away or let cool. If you let it cool, remove skin with a sharp knife, leaving fat intact. Cut the pork and crackling into portions.

To reheat, put the pork fat side down (with crackling beside) into a cold pan at 200°C for six to eight minutes.

Pork belly is delicious served with anything – lentils, garlic, mash, scallops, etc.