I like when things are simple. I like my cooking simple, I like flavours simple. And by simple I don’t mean one dimensional, no, I mean that things should taste, to the greatest extent possible, of what they in fact are. I guess what I am trying to say is: don’t meddle too much.
One of my favourite ingredients is time. I like a slow cook. It works magic with stews, you wouldn’t be able to pull that pork if you didn’t add a generous amount of time to the recipe and you definitely wouldn’t get your little fingers on this black and crispy delight without an ample amount of time.
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Black and crunchy pork belly
- Total Time: 540 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This black and crunchy pork belly is a slow-cooked delight, resulting in tender meat with a perfectly crispy skin.
Ingredients
- 750 grams (1.6 lbs) of lightly salted belly of pork, with skin
- 2 tbsp of ground paprika
- 1 tsp of ground chili
Instructions
- Let the meat come to room temperature. This helps it cook evenly.
- Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Prick the skin with a fork all over. This will help the juices move through the rind and make it nice and crisp.
- Mix the ground paprika and ground chili together in a small bowl.
- Rub the spice mixture evenly over the pork belly, ensuring it is well coated.
- Place the pork belly on a wire rack in a roasting pan, skin side up.
- Roast in a preheated oven at 120°C (250°F) for 8 hours. This slow cooking will render the fat and make the skin crispy.
- After 8 hours, increase the oven temperature to 220°C (430°F) and roast for an additional 20 minutes, or until the skin is bubbly and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- This pork belly pairs well with salads, sandwiches, or pasta.
- Allow the pork to reach room temperature before cooking for even results.
- The long cooking time ensures tender meat and a crispy skin.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 530 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 58
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 35
- Cholesterol: 100
As you can see this isn’t really a full on dish. I will trust you to use your imagination in preparing the best sallad, sandwich, pasta or whatever is your particular favorite to go with the pig. And I hope that you will tell me about the result! 
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
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- Char Siu: Perfect Cantonese BBQ Pork Belly
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the pork belly roast at 120°C for 8 hours before the temperature blast at the end?
The article is explicit that time is the key ingredient here: the long 8-hour cook at 120°C (250°F) slowly renders the fat and begins crisping the skin. After those 8 hours, the oven blasts up to 220°C (430°F) for a final 20 minutes to make the skin bubbly and fully crispy. The notes confirm the long cooking time is precisely what delivers tender meat with a crunchy exterior.
Why do you prick the skin with a fork before roasting?
The instructions explain that pricking the skin all over helps the juices move through the rind during the long cook, which is what makes it “nice and crisp.” Without the pricking, steam can build up under the skin and make it tough rather than crackling.
The recipe calls for “lightly salted” pork belly — does that matter?
Yes — the ingredient specifies 750g of lightly salted belly of pork with skin. The existing salt in the meat seasons it through the long cook. Using unsalted pork belly would produce a blander result; heavily salt-cured pork belly could over-season the final dish. The only other seasoning is the rub of 2 tbsp ground paprika and 1 tsp ground chili.
Five layers of heaven. Pig is one of my favorite things to cook, and pork belly is really one of the best parts of that wonderful animal.
Please let me know when you’ve tried it. All feedback is appreciated. :)
I ‘liked’ this on Facebook before clicking over to the recipe! Love love LOVE pork belly, and can’t wait to try this slow-cook method. Thank you for sharing!!!