Crispy Pork Belly with Fennel and Baby Carrots

This is one of those dishes that feels a little bit special but is actually very achievable. A simple brine for seasoning, time in the fridge to dry the skin, then a slow roast followed by a hot blast for crackling. Add fennel and baby carrots to the pan and you’ve got a full, generous tray ready for the table.

Prep (day before): Brine: 10 mins
Drying: 8–24 hrs
Prep (day of): 15 mins
Cook: 1.5–2 hrs roast + 20–30 mins high heat
Rest: 10–15 mins

Ingredients 

Pork Belly & Brine

1–1.5kg pork belly, skin on
1 litre water
60g salt

Optional Brine Add-Ins

1–2 tbsp brown sugar
Garlic cloves
1-3 bay leaves 
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp fennel seeds

For Roasting

Olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper
Fennel seeds or garlic (optional)

Vegetables

2 fennel bulbs, cut into rounds
2 bunches baby carrots, trimmed
1 garlic bulb, sliced through the centre horizontally
Olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper

Instructions 

The Day Before 

1. To prepare the brine, dissolve the salt in warm water. Allow it to cool completely.
2. Submerge the pork belly flesh in the water, keeping the skin above the liquid.
3. Refrigerate for 8–12 hours or overnight.
4. Remove the pork from the brine and dry thoroughly, especially the skin.
5. Season the skin heavily with salt and place uncovered in the fridge for a few hours or ideally overnight. This helps achieve crisp crackling.

The Day Of

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan forced).
2. Prepare the pork by removing any excess salt.
3. Rub the underside of the pork belly with a little olive oil, pepper and fennel seeds.
4. In a bowl, toss the fennel and baby carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper.
5. If you are following “Method 1: Lid On”, place the pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add a little vegetable oil and put the pork belly, skin side down, into the pan and cook until the skin is golden. Approximately 5-10 minutes. 
   *If you are following “Method 2: Lid Off”, skip this step.
6. Briefly remove the pork belly from the pan. Scatter the vegetables across the base of the pan — they’ll catch all the flavour from the pork as it cooks — and place the pork belly, skin side up on top of the vegetables.
7. Put the lid on and roast for 1½–2 hours, allowing the fat to render and the meat to become tender.

To get crispy crackling, there are two ways forward from here.

Method 1: Lid On

1. Increase the oven temperature to 240°C and change to fan grill to send heat directly downwards onto the roast. Leave the lid on.
2. Roast for a further 20–30 minutes, until the skin bubbles and crisps into crackling.
3. Check on the pork every 10 minutes so it doesn’t go too far.
4. Remove from the oven and rest the meat for 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Method 2: Lid Off

If you’re in a hurry to get the roast to the table, take the lid off and follow the instructions below:

1. Remove the Ultimate Roaster from the oven and tip the vegetables and pan drippings out. This will greatly reduce the amount of fat spatter.
2. Place the pork belly, fat side up, into the oven without the lid.
3. Keep the oven temperature at 220°C and change to grill mode.
4. Grill (or broil) for 3-5 minutes, until the skin bubbles and crisps into crackling. Watch the pork closely so it doesn’t go too far.
5. Remove from the oven and rest the meat for 10–15 minutes before slicing.

To Serve

• Slice the pork into thick pieces, making sure each piece carries some crackling.
• Serve straight from the Ultimate Roaster with the fennel and carrots, softened and caramelised underneath.
• Delicious paired with steamed green beans, a crunchy green cabbage salad, Dijon mustard or an apple chutney.

Louise’s Notes

Because the base of the Ultimate Roaster is deeper than traditional roasting pans, even with the lid off for 3-5 minutes, the oven spatter is contained (especially if you tip out the pan drippings before popping the pork back in the oven).

Save the oil from the pan for future cooking. I like to add fresh sage or rosemary to a jar, pour the oil over, and keep it on hand to flavour future meals.