Epicurious:

Cooking: 4½ hours to 7½ hours

1. Slice squares in the rind. Make sure that they’re not too small, about 1,5 cm x 1,5 cm is perfect. Make sure that you only cut deep in the fat and not in the meat
2. Fill a baking tray with tall edges with coarse salt.
3. Push the belly rind side down into the salt so the entire rind has contact with the salt.
   💡Salt is the key to crispy rind
4. Cover it well with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.
5. Let it rest for 1-3 days.
   💡Skin is hard, the salt will break it down for crispy rind.
6. Wash the salt off the belly.
7. Empty the baking tray of salt and wash it.
8. Dry the belly with a paper towel and put a good amount of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper on it.
9. Put it back in the baking tray, wrap it up in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge till the next day.

Preparations on day you are eating it

1. Taking tray from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap
2. Cut the vegetables and lay them in the tray with the herbs.
3. Place the belly on top and pour over water and beer.
   💡If the tray is not deep enough to ensure no foil touches the pork, use cups at the corner  to ensure it doesn’t
4. Preheat the oven to 240 degrees fan forced
5. Use 2-3 layers of aluminium foil
   💡to minimise steam escaping.
6. Steam for 45 minutes.
7. Take it out and remove the aluminium foil.
8. Carefully lift the pork belly onto a cutting board.
9. Strain out the stock and keep it
10. Place the vegetables back in the tray
    💡 so you get even more stock later on.
11. Slice the outline of squares in the rind with a sharp knife to ensure they don’t stick together.
    💡The lines between the squares act as a pathway for the fat to run down. This is essential to get a crispy rind.
12. Use aluminium foil to make sure the structure is correct.
    💡The middle part of the pork is supposed to be higher up then the sides so the fat can render and fall into the tray.
13. Set the oven to 90 degrees.
14. Pour water in the tray
    💡ensure there is always some water in the tray
15. Put the pork into the oven (without the aluminium foil) and cook it for 3-6 hours.
    💡When you’re cooking meat on such low heat it’s not that important how long it cooks, usually around 4 hours. The belly needs time to get juicy and the rind needs time to get warm so it pops out.
16. 1 hour before serving, take the belly out of the oven and turn the heat up to 240 degrees.
17. Place it back into the oven.
    💡The temperature is now so high that the liquid inside the rind starts to boil. Because of the salt that has broken down the skin, the liquid inside the rind will evaporate and it will start popping. The goal is to get an airy and crispy rind.
18. Cook for 20-30 minutes
    💡Grill setting and with the oven door open to finish it off can help. Most of the time this is not necessary. If you choose to, it’s important to keep an eye on it at all times. Use a food thermometer to make sure that it’s cooked all the way through. The internal temperature should be 75-85 degrees so the marbling is cooked
19. The meat has to rest – When you’re pleased with the rind, take it out and place it on a cutting board. Don’t cover it!
20. From the stock that’s in the tray you make an amazing sauce.
21. Now the pork has to rest for at least 15 minutes.
    💡Then the meat will be even juicier and the rind will be even crispier. When cutting the belly pork, make sure to cut between the rind.

    Serve it with a delicious sauce, sauerkraut, red cabbage, mustard and cranberry jam. This makes for a fantastic taste.