Slow-roast belly of pork

Slow-roast belly of pork

Season and roast your pork belly to perfection and let the flavours speak for themselves

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs

Plus resting

Method

  1. If you have the pork bones, roast them until browned, then transfer to a pan and cover with 1 litre chicken stock. Gently simmer for 1 hr, skimming off any scum that comes to the surface (you will need about 500ml for the gravy). If you don't have pork bones, don't worry about this stage.
  2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the pork on a wire rack in a roasting tray, skin side up, and cook for 1½ hrs. increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for a further 15-20 mins to crisp the skin. Remove the pork from the tin and allow to rest for 45 mins.
  3. To make the gravy, remove all the fat from the bottom of the roasting tin. Add the butter and heat to melt. Tip in the flour and cook for 1-2 mins, scraping the bottom of the pan. Gradually stir in 500ml stock and cook for 5 mins until thick.
Try

Wilted cos lettuce

Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed oil and 25g/1oz butter in a frying pan until the butter turns brown. Tip in 2 shredded cos lettuces and cook for 2-3 mins or until just wilted. Add some seasoning and juice ½ lemon, then serve immediately.

Hot buttered beetroot

Cook 3 medium trimmed and unpeeled beetroot in a large pan of boiling salted water for 20-25 mins or until tender. Allow to cool slightly, then pop on a pair of rubber gloves and peel off the skins. Chop the beetroot. melt 25g/1oz butter in a frying pan. Add 1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves and cook for 1 min. Add the beetroot and toss to coat in the thyme butter.

Fondant potatoes

Peel 6 potatoes and slice away the two longer sides so the potatoes lie flat on both sides. Melt 85g/3oz butter in a frying pan, then add the potatoes and cook for about 3 mins on each side. Add 3 finely chopped garlic cloves and 300ml/½pt chicken or veg stock to the pan with some seasoning, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover with damp greaseproof paper and cook for 40-45 mins until stock has been absorbed and the potatoes are tender.

Per serving

576 kcalories, protein 48g, carbohydrate 3g, fat 42 g, saturated fat 17g, fibre 0g, salt 0.65 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo tweetiepie

    02 October 2011

    tweetiepie commented on this recipe

    This recipe doesnt seem to mention which seasonings to use to bring out the best flavours etc in the pork....in my opinion this isnt really a recipe - just tells you to put them in the oven and that's all!! Be glad of suggestions if anyone's tried it!

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  • Binder photo Ann Clark

    09 October 2011

    Ann Clark commented on this recipe

    I agree with you. I have not made this recipe but when cooking with pork I often rub "Chinese Five Spice" all over, and serve with home made apple sauce. There is no reason why good old fashioned salt and black pepper should be dismissed, sometimes a recipe can be over complicated because the writer has run out of ideas. My friend has just come in and says she often rubs brown demerera sugar, course salt and a SMALL amount of powdered ginger into the skin side before popping into a hot oven. Hope you find this useful.

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  • Binder photo Leon Mayne

    01 November 2011

    Leon Mayne rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Cooked this recently for friends. Very good, but slightly lacking in flavour. I did pour a kettle of boiling water over the pork skin then dry it and rubbed in maldon salt to help it crisp up.

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  • Binder photo Gareb

    28 September 2012

    Gareb rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I was looking for something simple so this was perfect - I did rub salt and 5-spice into the skin though. Forgot to score the pork as well but didn't seem to affect the flavour. Used pork stock instead and had it with cauliflower cheese and pumpkin mash :-)

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  • Binder photo Lin

    11 November 2012

    Lin commented on this recipe

    When roasting belly I always lay on a bed on onions and garlic

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  • Binder photo cookie

    16 May 2013

    cookie commented on this recipe

    I found the cooking times too short and the temperature too high for the first part of the cooking. /The crackling was soft in the middle.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs

Plus resting

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg/3lb 5oz-4lb 8oz pork belly , scored and boned (ask to keep the bones to make stock for the gravy)
  • 25g/ 1oz butter
  • 25g/ 1oz flour
  • 1l/ 1.75 pints chicken stock or 500ml/18 fl oz if you don't have pork bones
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Per serving

576 kcalories, protein 48g, carbohydrate 3g, fat 42 g, saturated fat 17g, fibre 0g, salt 0.65 g

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