Poitrine de Porc
Pasture raised pigs at Townsend tend to be a little leaner in the belly than their supermarket cousins. When slow roasted the pastured pork belly yields succulent soft flesh and crisp crackling.
Ingredients:
3.5-5 lb pasture raised pork belly, skin scored
6 tbsp. olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, mashed
5 tbsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 small bunch of thyme, leaves only
2 tbsp. coarse sea salt
2 lemons
Marinade:
Pre heat oven 200 deg
In a dry frying pan toast the fennel seeds & peppercorns till fragrant, remove and pound them in a mortar & pestle or a spice grinder. Mix it with the garlic, salt and 4 Tbsp. olive oil to create a paste. Rub this mixture over the meat side of the pork; cover and chill over night or at least a few hours.
Rub skin side with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil & 1 Tbsp of salt. Place belly on a rack in a roasting pan skin side up and roast for 30 min.
Squeeze the lemons over the skin & reduce heat to 180 roast for 2 hrs.
Turn heat back up to 225 deg for another 30 min to finish the crackling. Remove from heat and allow resting on platter tented with foil to keep warm. Roasted potatoes and braised red cabbage makes a great accompaniment to the slow roasted pork belly and cracklings