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DP normally cooks Pork Belly on a BBQ grate we have over hte fire outside but we had some in teh freezer and i felt like something a little different so i plan to roast it tonight.
Basically we normally rub in some oil and salt, then i'm guessing pop it in a hot oven - do i cover it with foil for a bit first or allow it to cook and crackle at the same time & what temp oven?
Any other 'recipe' ideas, might do it with some roast veggies :)
I've done a beautiful twice cooked pork belly. Really easy and so incredibly yummy.
slice up two onions and put them, six or so star anise and the rind off half an orange into a baking dish and then add a litre or so of water. Rub oil and then salt over the pork, and then put the pork belly (whole, not cut in strips) on a rack over the top and put into a very hot oven (250) for 30 minutes. Then turn the oven right down to 150 and cook for a couple of hours. You need to add water through the process otherwise the pan will dry out and your onion goo burns, but try not to get any liquid on the meat.
Take it out of the oven and allow to cool. Strain off the pan juices for sauce later and include with them the star anise. Chuck out the orange peel. Keep the "solids" fro the juice (all the onion). Then when you're ready for dinner, put the pork back in the oven for an hour at 160. For the last 10 minutes turn the oven up to 220 so the skin gets yummy and crackly.
Put the pan juices, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, star anise and a cinnamon stick in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to boil then simmer until it gets thick - around 5 minutes or so.
Stir in 1 cup chicken stock and simmer for another 5 minutes until reduced. Then add the juice of one orange and the remaining peel and simmer it really slowly until it gets thick.
Reheat the onions (I usually put them in a little dish in the oven for a few minutes).
Cut the pork into strips and serve on rice. Spoon on the onion goo and pour the sauce over the top of everything. Steamed vegies and you're set.
It maybe sounds a bigger deal than it is. I usually do the sauce as soon as I take the pork out of the oven after the first cook, which I normally do in the morning while the kids aren't feral. Then it ends up a really easy dinner that is basically a reheat at the end of the day.
Sounds delicious but probably too late to start it like that now yeah?
And i don't have the oranges etc :)
Yeah im also a big believer in cranking up the oven for 30 minutes or so and then turning it down. Works every time :)
Yeah. Probably not for today - didn't think about time differences!! Really worth trying though. It is sooooo yummy.
If i wanted to cook 1 today though would i just throw it in a hot oven for a couple of hours?
we rub with oil and salt, put oven up high for 30 mins, then drop down for remainder of cooking time. i couldn't give you times though - i just guess (i do that with all my cooking!)
DH says it awesome. me - i don't eat it so can't say anything lol
I have a great recipe where you rub Chinese five spice and ginger into the underside. It is amazing.
On phone but can post when I get home in 30 mins or so...
Don't keep the oven really hot the whole time or it will dry out. Turn it up high for 30 minutes, then turn it down to 180 or so if you don't want/have the time to really slow cook it. They're not very thick so start checking after an hour. Definitely rub at least oil and salt on it (heaps with crispiness). N2L's spices sound pretty yummy too. Or maybe a bbq sauce/sticky rub?
Just :bump: as I am making one for dinner and have never done one before! I've done a roast though so am guessing it's similar with cranking heat and dropping down!
I've cooked pork belly in milk before!! You still get crackling too
Mmm... Only had pork belly once, but its an experience I'll never forget! Might go to the butcher tomorrow... perfect meal for one ;)
Tan - cook it slower and longer than you would a roast if you have time, then crank up the heat at the end again. Makes for yummy crackling and the rest of it just melts in your mouth.
In addition to pork belly, I highly recommend pork forequarter chops. You will probably have seen the lamb ones kicking around the butchers (okay, so maybe not quite "kicking around"), and the pork ones look similar, just bigger. I managed to fit four in one fairly flat oven dish, with the skin sticking up around the edges. I brushed a combination of sweet chilli, oyster, and I think some soy sauce on the cuts, and salted the rind. Roasted, I sorry I don't know what temp, but turned them over once, keeping the rind upwards. Result was a deliciously moist Asian style marinade pork, WITH crackling! Delicious!
Sorry to hijack.
Eta, my mum also said something to me once about putting a piece of pork belly with roast chicken (in the same oven dish), and being really good (for the chicken).