Perfect roast pork belly

Name: Perfect roast pork belly
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 1/2 (3 1/4lb) piece pork belly

It's a classy favourite in top restaurants, but pork belly is still an inexpensive cut and perfect for entertaining.

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 21 January 2013

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Preparation Notes: Allow time for drying and resting

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Yields:

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

3 hrs 30 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 45 mins

Ingredients

1 1/2 (3 1/4lb) piece pork belly

Directions

1. Step 1
  Using a small sharp knife, score lines into the skin (cutting into the fat) about 1cm (½in) apart, but not so deep that you cut into the meat. Pat the pork completely dry, then leave uncovered at room temperature to air dry for about 45min.
2. Step 2
  Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7. Rub lots of salt over the pork skin. Rest a wire rack above a deep roasting tin and put the pork skin-side up on the rack. Roast for 30min, then turn down the oven temperature to 170°C (150°C fan) mark 3 and continue cooking for 3hr - by this stage the crackling should be crisp and golden (if not, don't panic - see GH Tip).
3. Step 3
  Transfer pork to a board and use a sharp knife to slice off the crackling in one piece (about the outer 2cm/¾in). Cover the pork meat loosely with foil and leave to rest for 30-40min.
4. Step 4
  Cut the crackling into six long strips, then cut the pork belly into six neat squares. Serve each square topped with a strip of crackling.

Per Serving:

Calories: 645
Total fat: 51 g
Saturated fat: 18 g

The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time