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Sliced crispy pork belly with blistered crackling and apple cabbage slaw on a dark slate board

Crispy Pork Belly with Apple Slaw

Oven-roasted pork belly with shatteringly crisp skin, served alongside a cider-dressed apple and cabbage slaw.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pork Belly
  • 1 kg skin-on pork belly, whole piece fat cap at least 3 cm thick
  • 2 tsp flaky sea salt for dry brine and rub
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil rubbed into the underside only, not the skin
Apple Slaw
  • 300 g green cabbage, core removed, thinly sliced about half a small head
  • 1 large Granny Smith apple, julienned or coarsely grated skin on, core removed
  • 1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
  • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil such as grapeseed or sunflower
  • 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt plus more to taste
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper

Method
 

Prepare and Dry-Brine the Pork Belly
  1. Pat the pork belly skin completely dry with paper towels.
  2. Using a sharp box cutter or the tip of a chef's knife, score the skin in parallel lines 1 cm apart, cutting through the skin and into the fat layer but stopping before the meat. Turn the piece 90 degrees and score again to create a crosshatch if you prefer.
  3. Rub 1.5 tsp of salt, the fennel seeds, black pepper, and garlic powder directly into the scored skin and all over the meat side. Rub the olive oil into the meat side only.
  4. Place the pork belly skin-side up on a wire rack set over a tray. Leave uncovered in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
Roast the Pork Belly
  1. Remove the pork from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to take the chill off.
  2. Heat the oven to 240 C / 465 F (fan 220 C).
  3. Place the pork belly skin-side up on the wire rack over the roasting pan. Roast at 240 C for 25 minutes until the skin blisters and starts to crackle audibly.
  4. Without opening the oven door during that initial blast, lower the temperature to 160 C / 320 F. Continue roasting for 60 to 70 minutes until the meat is tender and an instant-read thermometer reads at least 70 C / 160 F in the thickest part.
  5. If the crackling isn't fully blistered after the lower-heat stage, switch to broil / grill for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning.
  6. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and rest uncovered for 15 minutes before slicing.
Make the Apple Slaw
  1. While the pork rests, combine the sliced cabbage, julienned apple, grated carrot, and spring onions in a large mixing bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, neutral oil, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
  3. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt. The slaw should be sharp and lightly coated, not wet.
Slice and Serve
  1. Slice the rested pork belly into 1 to 2 cm thick portions using a sharp chef's knife. Each slice should have a layer of crackling, fat, and meat.
  2. Serve immediately over or alongside the apple slaw. Spoon any pan drippings over the pork slices before plating.

Notes

Scoring the skin deeply is the single most important step - shallow cuts trap steam under the skin and prevent crackling. If you're short on time, 2 hours of uncovered fridge rest still produces decent results, though overnight is noticeably better.