Time is one of today’s luxuries. It is something we all crave for but many seem to be short of. So when we find time on our hands, nothing beats reading a good book or taking the time to cook.
In today’s frantic world, it is a luxury to take hours to cook but slow cooking doesn’t need to be complex and this recipe is a sure winner not only because of its simplicity but also because we rarely get to eat pork belly nowadays.
It is normally a recipe that I reserve for the Christmas period when the weather is colder (though this year it was anything but cold) and you have more time on your hands but it is a dish that is perfect for a winter weekend or when you find you have a few hours at home.
Pork belly is a boneless cut of fatty meat from the belly of a pig. It is popular in many different cuisines. It was used more often in the past by our grandparents and parents in cooking but it is slowly making a comeback not only in restaurants but also at home. If like me, your mother used to cook it, in one form or another (in my case mostly as a vehicle to add flavour to a vegetable soup), then this can be a trip down memory lane.
Ingredients
- 2 kilogrammes Pork Belly
- Salt
- Honey
Method
Switch on the oven and set to 220C.
Get your butcher to score the skin of the pork belly or else get a really good pointed knife and score the skin down to the meat. Season the pork belly with salt and allow it to rest and absorb the salt. Once the oven is heated, place the pork belly in an oven dish and cover with enough honey.
After fifteen minutes, decrease the heat to around 120C and continue to cook for two to three hours for the meat to become really tender. If time is not of the essence, then bring the temperate down to 100C and cook for four to five hours. Baste the pork belly with the honey every 20 to 30 minutes. The end result is a juicy and succulent piece of meat.
Allow to rest and then serve with glazed carrots.
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