Roch's Pork Belly

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Rocklobster

Master Chef
Joined
Nov 10, 2010
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6,674
Location
Ottawa Valley, Ontario, Canada
Tonight we had a bit of a rich treat. I started this morning by scoring the skin and marinating the belly in a mixture of roasted peppercorns and fennel, garlic, thyme and olive oil. I sprinkled some rock salt on the top skin to help draw moisture out and season the meat. I let this sit in the fridge for a few hours.
Took it out and wiped the skin dry. Then, I layed it out on a bed of onions, garlic, a broken cinnamon stick and put it in a 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.
 

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After an hour and a half I took it out and poured a few glugs of white table wine in the pan and returned it to the oven for another hour.
After an hour I took it out and placed it on another pan, cranked the oven up to 450 and returned it to the oven, keeping an eye on it for the skin to blister and get nice and crispy. Meanwhile, I made some gravy.

Poured off all of the fat and added some beef broth, let it simmer and then thickened with a bit of flour and water.
 

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no tellin' how far i might drive to get to some pork belly that looks like yours, rock. that's the most tempting food vision i've seen this year. i can practically taste that crispy, fat pork skin!!! :)
 
man, that looks good, rock.

i've always thought of pork belly being more fatty, like for bacon. not with so much lean meat.

is that the cut of the belly a little more up the side of the porker?

of the whole pigs i've butchered (after being q'd), none of them were big enough to get that kind of meaty cut.
 
his real name is rochester biffington fauntleroy the third, but rock sounds much more cool... :cool:
 
man, that looks good, rock.

i've always thought of pork belly being more fatty, like for bacon. not with so much lean meat.

is that the cut of the belly a little more up the side of the porker?

of the whole pigs i've butchered (after being q'd), none of them were big enough to get that kind of meaty cut.

Whole pigs at pig roasts are usually smaller, younger pigs, aren't they? Like 150 tops? I could be wrong, but they don't look near as big as the 300-400 lb pigs you see being raised for slaughter.
Good question. Where's Ask-the-butcher when you need him?

Nice write-up and pics, Rock. This is on my shortlist.
 
Thanks everybody. Bucky, the cut can be fatty. The slow roasting renders quite a bit. There is a good layer right under the crackling but it comes off very easily. You do have to do a bit of picking throush but the flavor is worth it. It's one of those things you don't eat often, or you will end up with a pork belly of your own.
 
Yeah. Sorry. After some thought I tried to delete it but it was too late...:(

Awesome meat. No need to delete, unless you want to, Rock. Natural part of a pork belly, though I agree with Kayelle! (shiver)

The things I learn here!
 
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Awesome meat. No need to delete, unless you want to, Rock. Natural part of a pork belly, though I agree with Kayelle! (shiver)

The things I learn here!
Well, like I said, it freaked me out a bit, too. But, it is a reminder for me as a meat eater. You forget what you you are eating when everything you buy is in nice neat packets.....
 
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