posted by Lisa UK 03-06-100 2:35 PM
Roasted Pork Belly
1 (1 - 1.3 kg. / 2 1/2 -3 lb.) piece of pork belly, boned with rind left on
5 large onions, sliced
4 fresh sage leaves
vegetable oil
crushed white peppercorns
2-3 tbs. clear honey
coarse sea salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Score the pork belly at 1 cm. intervals.
Spread the onions over the bottom of a roasting tin and add the sage leaves. Sit the pork, rind side up, on top. Trickle over the vegetable oil and sprinkle with the white peppercorns and sea salt. Roast for 1 hour.
Remove the tin from the oven and baste the belly. Splash a few tablespoons of water into the tin - it will sizzle.
Roast for another 2 hours basting every 15-20 minutes. Pour the honey over the belly and increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Roast for 30-40 minutes more, basting every 5-10 minutes. As the honey starts to get hotter it will start to caramelise and leave a glaze over the pork.
Once the meat is tender, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10-15 minutes.
Heat the roasting tin, with the onions, on the stove and add a cup of water. This will lift the residue from the tin and create a gravy. Season the onions with salt and pepper.
Carve the pork, sit it on top of the onions and serve with mashed potatoes.