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    You are here: Home / Special Diets / Dairy Free / Slow Roast Pork Belly

    Slow Roast Pork Belly

    1 March 2013 - By Michelle Minnaar
    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Jump to Recipe

    Learn the best way to cook pork belly and what to eat with it.

    Grilled Pork Belly

    Back in 2007 I remember how sheepish I was taking out my camera in public and taking photos. At my first Taste of London I didn’t even capture any of the food! When I started dining with other bloggers I found solace in the fact that I wasn’t the only weirdo snapping pictures of what I was about to eat.

    These days when the first plates of food arrive, best South African buddy Jeanne and I whip out our cameras, glance at each other and quietly mouth “freak show” as we affectionately dubbed it.

    Time is a funny thing. If you told me five years ago that I would regularly walk into restaurants and shoot dishes without blinking, I would have been shocked. Mind you, being paid for it is a big plus point. I wouldn’t have had the audacity to ask the restaurant for a recipe of a particularly amazing dish either, never mind asking them to demonstrate it for me. Well, guess what? I just did!

    Meat main course

    In December, while doing a restaurant review, I was so impressed with The Real Greek’s Slow Roast Pork Belly that I approached them and asked if they were interested in collaborating. The proposition was met with open arms and in a few short weeks I was smack-dab in the middle of Stratford again shooting the recipe step-by-step.

    Recipe Photo Shoot

    I had a blast! Not only did I learn how to make the best pork belly possible but they knew all the answers to my questions. After all the kitchen produces these babies day in and day out. Maybe one day they’ll teach me how to make their truly addictive Battered Salt Cod…

    Tenderise pork

    Pork Belly and Special Diets

    People on a low-fat diet should definitely avoid pork belly because of its high fat content. On the bright side it is dairy and gluten free! As long as the meat is thoroughly cooked, pregnant women can safely consume it.

    Rubbed Belly Pork

    Why remove the skin?

    I know, I know. Crackling is a wonderful thing but unless you’re cooking pork belly in the sous-vide, you’re better off without it. The skin gets tough and too chewy. We don’t want that, do we?

    Roast pork belly

    Ingredients that Match with Pork

    The recipe provided is what The Real Greek uses in their kitchens but the marinade can easily be tweaked and there are plenty of flavour combinations you can play with.

    Herbs & Spices

    Anise, chili, cinnamon, clove, cilantro, coriander seeds, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, juniper, rosemary, sage, thyme, bay leaves, fennel seeds, mustard, parsley, star anise, tarragon

    Alcohol

    Beer, brandy, calvados, cognac, marsala, whiskey, white wine

    Fruit

    Fruit pairs fabulously with pork. You can easily substitute the orange juice with one of the following:

    Apple, apricot, grapes, grapefruit, pear, pineapple, rhubarb, watermelon, dried sour cherries, lemon, lime, orange, plums, prunes, quince.

    Try this Fig and Orange Sauce with it for incredible flavour.

    Which Vegetables to Serve with Pork Belly

    Broccoli (especially broccoli raab), butternut squash, cabbage, celery, cucumber, globe artichoke, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peas, potato, swede, tomato, watercress, black beans, fennel, sauerkraut, beetroot

    Excellent Greek cookbooks you might not know of:

    • Food From Many Greek Kitchens
    • Vefa’s Kitchen
    • Flavours of Greece
    • Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Heart
    • Tonia’s Greek Kitchen

    Wine Pairing

    As pork is a white meat the first thought for most people is to pair it with a white wine. This works in some cases and one is recommended below but red wine can work well too. White wine works as the freshness will help to cut through the fattiness of the meat. If the meat has been slow cooked the flavours are deep and complex so will require a richer wine and if you’ve used a marinade this will also impact on the wine choice.

    Domaine Sophie Cinier Macon-Fuissé, 2011

    This Burgundian Chardonnay is an ideal match to pork belly. Some of the wine was fermented in large oak barrels giving rich flavour characteristics of caramel and toast and a smooth, creamy texture. The remainder was fermented in stainless steel in order to maintain the freshness. Therefore we have notes of crisp apples and grapefruit, perfect for if you are serving apple with the pork, and a lovely clean, fresh finish which rounds off the finish.

    Mas du Soleilla ‘Les Bartelles’ Languedoc, 2008

    The grapes in Les Bartelles are a blend of Syrah and Grenache, 80% and 20% respectively, creating a wine cram packed full of fruit. There’s a subtle earthiness from the Syrah whilst the Grenache proportion adds fresh blackberry and raspberry flavours. The wine has been matured in oak barrels which not only offer a delightfully smooth texture but also a spiciness that works well with the pork. In the area there naturally growing wild herbs known as La Garrigue and this adds a perfumed, floral, herby quality to the wine whilst adding to the savoury-ness. A real gem with slow cooked pork belly.

    Château Chantelune Margaux, 2009

    This is an absolutely sumptuous wine and a great match to pork belly. The dominant grape is Merlot which has a rounded softness and allows for a rich texture and mouthfeel. The flavours of forest fruits are obvious on the nose and palate and these give way to more complex characters of licorice, black pepper and truffle. It’s a big hug in a glass and with hearty pork belly dishes it has the effect of soothing the soul.

    Restaurant Recipe

    What to do with leftovers

    Let’s say you’ve had the pork belly for Sunday roast dinner and now you’ve got a hunk of meat left over. Besides freezing some, here are a few ideas:

    Fry chunks in hot, dry pan and create your own souvlaki which entails Greek pita bread (tortilla or other flatbread will work too), tzatziki, tomatoes, red onions and paprika and wrapped up in a neat parcel.

    Cold slices in a sandwich work well.

    Cut the meat into bite-sized chunks and chuck it into a wok with your favourite veggies to make a stir-fry. Hoisin sauce, honey, molasses, plum sauce, soy sauce and vinegar are some sauces that will work. Don’t forget to add a few walnuts or peanuts for some crunch.

    Shred the meat and add it to a soup.

    Marinated pork belly

    Storage Instructions

    Conservatively, a whole raw pork belly can be kept in the freezer for around 6 months. Raw, sealed and prepacked the meat will last 2-4 days in the fridge. After cooking the belly pork, any leftovers should be placed in the fridge 1 to 2 hours after serving. In the coldest part of the fridge the meat will last for about 4 days. Well-wrapped leftovers can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Preparing the Pork Marinade

    The recipe is actually quite easy. The first part you prepare the marinade and in the second you simply smear it on the pork and then cook it. That’s it!

    So first get all your marinade ingredients together.

    Marinade ingredients

    Unfortunately, I didn’t capture the dried marjoram, mustard and fennel seeds at the time so don’t forget to look at the recipe below.

    Marinade ingredients
    Spicy Marinade

    Once you have everything together, measure each ingredient and place it in the food processor.

    Food processor
    Ground Pepper
    Pouring paprika
    Salty marinade
    Yellow liquid
    Vegetable oil

    Flip the switch and let the machine do its thing.

    Sweet Marinade

    Now that was easy, wasn’t it? Now for the meat.

    Orange marinade

    Cleaning, Marinating and Rolling the Pork Belly

    Make sure you buy a boneless belly minus the skin. A whole pork belly usually weighs around 3kg and when cooked around 2.20-2.40kg. Allow 150g (5 oz) per portion. Based on that a whole pork belly should feed around 16 people.

    Remove the excess fat with the sharp knife.

    Removing excess fat

    Run your fingers over the meat, making sure to remove any bones or gristle if any are found.

    Prepare Pork Belly

    Imagine the meat is your lover’s back. Lovingly rub the marinade into the meat, reaching all places such as flaps and love handles.

    Piquant sauce

    By the time you’re done the belly should be thoroughly coated with the sauce.

    Marinated Pork Belly

    Starting at one end, carefully start rolling it up…

    Rolling Belly

    …keep going…

    Preparing Pork Belly

    It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it?

    Beautiful Pork Belly

    I have no idea what the cool contraption is called but it makes tying up the meat very quick and easy.

    Netting Pork

    Home cooks like us will just have to rely on the old-fashioned string and scissors.

    Net drum

    Be sure to fasten the string properly.

    Rolled Pork

    We want the pork to retain its shape.

    Netted meat

    Do you have any marinade left over by any chance?

    Netted Pork

    If you do, rub it all over the meat…again!

    Marinating pork

    Now the belly is ready for the oven.

    Low fat Pork Belly

    Place it in a deep baking tray. For safety reasons, it’s always a good idea to insert a meat thermometer to ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked when you take it out. The temperature you’re aiming for is 80°C/176°F. Usually placed in a preheated oven of 160°C/320°F/gas mark 3 will do the trick.

    Oven ready belly pork

    After 3 hours, your pork would look like this.

    Finished pork belly

    Let it rest for around 30 minutes and then dive in.

    Cutting pork

    How can you possibly resist?

    Cooking Pork Belly

    Did you notice the fat in the middle? If you place a slice of the stuff in a dry but very hot frying pan and sear each side for 30-40 seconds, the fat will render and become crispy, thus become even more tasty.

    Pork Belly pieces

    If you want to do it Greek-style, top the meat with semi-caramelised onions, sprinkle with a bit of paprika and some chopped parsley, spring onion and dill.

    Greek Food

    Of course, if you’re too lazy you can just visit The Real Greek and eat it there instead with a large Greek Salad and crispy new potatoes.

    A big thank you to The Real Greek for all their time and trouble!

    Traditional Greek meal
    Print
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    Cooking Pork Belly

    Slow Roast Pork Belly


    ★★★★★

    4.7 from 3 reviews

    • Author: Michelle Minnaar
    • Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
    • Yield: 16 servings 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 40g (1½ oz) garlic cloves, peeled
    • 80g (3oz) sea salt
    • 40g (1½ oz) sweet paprika
    • 30g (1 oz) fennel seeds
    • 20g (½ oz) dried marjoram
    • 120ml (4 fl oz) Dijon mustard
    • 40ml (1½ fl oz) vegetable or olive oil
    • 200ml (7 oz) orange juice
    • 50ml (2 fl oz) honey
    • 3kg (6lbs) whole pork belly, skin removed
    • 6 onions
    • Parsley
    • Spring onion
    • Dill

    Instructions

    1. Add the garlic, salt, paprika, fennel, marjoram, mustard, oil, orange juice and honey in a food processor and blitz until it forms a smooth paste.
    2. Remove excess fat from the pork belly then wash it and pat it dry.
    3. Run your fingers all over the meat to make sure there are no bones or other gristle.
    4. Rub the pork on both sides with the prepared marinade.
    5. Carefully roll up the pork and tie it.
    6. Place the rolled pork belly in a preheated oven, 160°C/320°F/gas mark 3, and roast the meat for 3 hours.
    7. Let it rest for 30 minutes before you start slicing it.
    8. [Optional] For even more spectacular flavor you can place each slice in a very hot frying pan (no oil needed) and fry each side for 30-40 seconds. The fat on the inside will melt and become crispy.
    9. Top with semi-caramelised onions, some chopped parsley, spring onion and dill. Enjoy!
    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 3 hours
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Roast
    • Cuisine: Greek

    Nutrition

    • Calories: 69
    • Sugar: Sugars
    • Sodium: 213 mg
    • Fat: 3.4 g
    • Carbohydrates: 8.6 g
    • Fiber: Dietary Fiber
    • Protein: 1.1 g

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @greedygourmet on Instagram and hashtag it #greedygourmet

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rosa

      March 01, 2013 at 12:13 pm

      Scrumptious and wonderfully spicy! Pork belly is so tasty.

      Cheers,

      Rosa

      Reply
    2. mjskit

      March 04, 2013 at 4:31 am

      I’ve had braised pork belly before and wasn’t much of a fan, but this roasted pork belly with ALL of those spices look fabulous! This is definitely a pork belly that I would enjoy! What gorgeous pictures!

      Reply
    3. mjskit

      March 04, 2013 at 4:31 am

      I’ve had braised pork belly before and wasn’t much of a fan, but this roasted pork belly with ALL of those spices look fabulous! This is definitely a pork belly that I would enjoy! What gorgeous pictures!

      Reply
    4. Kelly Neil

      March 05, 2013 at 4:24 pm

      Oh. My. God. I am drooling on my keyboard. Wicked shots!! Love the step by step and am bookmarking the recipe FOR SURE.

      Reply
    5. John Henry Donovan

      March 08, 2013 at 2:20 am

      I would forgo my love of crackling just to make this. It looks delicious.

      ★★★★

      Reply
    6. Michelle

      March 08, 2013 at 1:41 pm

      To be honest I’m not much of a pork belly fan either but this version minus the crackling and excess fat was a real eye opener.

      Reply
    7. Michelle

      March 08, 2013 at 1:51 pm

      Thanks, Rosa. You’re right.

      Reply
    8. wizzy

      March 10, 2013 at 9:53 pm

      OMG I almost did not make it to the end of all those tasty photos I swear I started nibbling my fingers towards the end. Drool worthy.

      Reply
    9. Amy (Savory Moments)

      March 13, 2013 at 10:25 am

      Oh man, this looks so juicy and so delicious! We LOVE pork and this just looks so good.

      Reply
    10. Amy (Savory Moments)

      March 13, 2013 at 10:25 am

      Oh man, this looks so juicy and so delicious! We LOVE pork and this just looks so good.

      Reply
    11. Michelle

      March 25, 2013 at 10:27 am

      Thanks, Amy. If you do try this recipe out I’d love to hear your feedback!

      Reply
    12. Michelle

      March 25, 2013 at 10:31 am

      Thanks, Wizzy. Always glad to see you around, fingerless or not!

      Reply
    13. Michelle

      March 25, 2013 at 12:34 pm

      Wha?!? You only rated this recipe FOUR stars because there’s no crackling in it? Just kidding. 🙂

      It makes it a tad healthier too!

      Reply
    14. Michelle

      March 25, 2013 at 12:36 pm

      Thanks, Kelly!

      Reply
    15. Bethan Daunter

      January 12, 2016 at 12:56 pm

      Just stumbled across this post. Great photos and great ideas! Pork belly is one of my favourites, will definitely be giving this a try!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    16. Brianna

      March 02, 2016 at 2:01 pm

      Hi –

      How long would you cook this if the pork belly is only 1.5 kg?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • michelle

        April 16, 2017 at 5:53 pm

        Hi, Brianna. For some reason I would think the cooking time remains the same because the meat still needs to go through the same cooking to break down and get really tender. Do keep an eye out while cooking though!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    17. Walter Unlon

      August 20, 2019 at 9:26 am

      Wow, you make this seem so easy 🙂

      Reply
    18. Nelly

      September 17, 2019 at 8:19 pm

      I can’t wait to pair this up with one of your creamy mashes!

      Reply
    19. Frank B.l

      September 27, 2019 at 3:48 am

      I am making this for XMAS this year!! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply

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    about michelle

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