Divine Pork Belly

4 SERVINGS

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Buy all ingredients right below the recipe

INGREDIENT FOR PORK BELLY

Salt
A few sprigs of sage, thyme, or rosemary
Flake salt
Approximately 800 g boneless pork belly with skin

INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD

1 kohlrabi
4 celery stalks
1 green Granny Smith apple
Juice of ½ lemon
A handful of fresh coriander or mint
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Small salad leaves (e.g., Mesclun, lamb's lettuce, arugula, baby spinach...)
At least 250 g of full-fat white yogurt

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

Baking paper
Aluminum foil

INSTRUCTIONS

1
Preheat the oven to 150°C (traditional baking from top and bottom), place the rack in the middle position.
2
Choose a high roasting pan that fits the meat just right, line the bottom with baking paper.
3
Salt the meat on all sides with fine salt. Add herbs (can be fresh sage, rosemary, or thyme). If you want to leave the skin on the pork belly, place it skin-side down. If you remove it, then place it with the remaining fat side up. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to allow steam to escape. Roast for at least 3 hours, 4 is better.
4
In the meantime, prepare the salad. Peel the kohlrabi and the convex side of the celery stalks, leave the apple skin on. Cut into tiny pieces or thin short strips. Drizzle thoroughly with lemon juice, add enough yogurt to bind the mixture to a coleslaw-like consistency. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and finely chopped fresh herbs. Mix and place in the fridge to chill until the pork belly is done.
5
After 3-4 hours of slow roasting/braising, remove the pork belly from the oven and increase the temperature to maximum (between 230-250°C for traditional baking and 220°C for convection). Meanwhile, transfer the pork belly to a flat baking tray, ideally with a rack, score the skin or top fat, brush with rendered fat on all sides, and sprinkle with flake salt. Finish roasting in the hot oven for about 30-40 minutes. It may be less, just watch for perfect color and crispiness.
6
Serve with crispy salad and small salad leaves.

MENU od Koko

Veronika “Koko” Šmehlíková is a successful blogger and presenter, award holder of Blogger and Foodblogger of the Year, known from Europe 2 and her own shows MENU at Home and MENU by Koko.