This slow oven-roasted Pork Belly is sooooo good that I must share this recipe like almost immediately after testing it! The fats literally melt-in-your mouth and the meat is fall-apart tender and moist! This is like the only dish you need to impress your loved ones and guests!
I had this dish last week at Oso Ristorante during my birthday. It was a very memorable dish. The taste of the pork belly accompanied with the sweet, tarty figs, perfectly married the two components together.
Not a difficult dish to make either. 1st you need to brine it overnight, then slow-roast in oven for about 4 hours and prepare the figs last 15 minutes before serving.
You can have the option of removing the skin of the pork belly or leaving the skin on.
Prepare the brine and allow it to cool to room temperature before add, the pork belly into the brine. Use a container in big enough to hold the pork belly.
Ensure that the pork belly is fully submerge in the brine. Brine it for about 8 to 10 hours in the fridge. Do not leave the pork in the brine for move than 10 hours.
If the pork belly is already in the brine for 10 hours and you are not ready to roast is yet, remove from the brine, pat dry and cover with cling wrap. Return it to the fridge and chill (no more than 1 day).
Before roasting, pat dry the pork belly and cut into your desired portions or roast it as whole.
Preheat the oven at 160 degree Celsius 30 mins before roasting
Pan fry the belly (‘skin side down) until golden brown.
Add Beef broth until it covers 3/4 of the pork belly, add thyme; and bring it to boil before putting into the oven.
If you do not have a oven-proof pot, you can pan fry in a frying pan ,then transfer the park belly and the broth into a ovenproof casserole.
I used the beef broth four Campbell
Cover the pot/ casserole with lid or aluminium foil, leaving a small opening for evaporation.
Roast in oven, with skin side down for 2.5 hours
Remove the pot from oven and flip the pork belly with skin side up, cover with lid and continue to roast for another 1 hour. Add more broth if necessary.
Then remove the lid and roast for another 15 mins to allow the skin to brown.
While waiting for the last 15 mins of roasting, prepare the balsamic honey figs and its reduction
Use fresh black figs instead of the dried ones.
Add all the ingredients for the balsamic honey figs into a saucepot and bring to boil
Once boil, reduce to simmer and continue to simmer for about 15 mins.
Transfer the figs to the serving plates and continue to reduce the balsamic honey sauce to a slightly thicken consistency
This recipe uses thickened balsamic vinegar
If you are using the usual liquid balsamic vinegar, increase the quantity of honey from 0.5 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon.
- 3 tablespoons Honey
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 1 sprig Thyme
- 6 Bay Leaves
- 2 tablespoons Minced Garlic
- 1 tablespoon coarsely grounded Black Pepper
- 1 litre Water
- 50g Salt
- 800g to 1 kg Pork Belly (Skin removed - optional)
- 500 ml Beef Broth (or enough to cover ¾ of the pork belly)
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 9 pieces figs
- 120ml Wine
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar (thicken version)
- ½ tablespoon Honey (1 tablespoon honey if use the liquid version of balsamic vinegar)
- Baby Spinach
- Red Radish
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Add all the ingredients for the brine into a saucepot and bring to boil.
- Remove from the fire and allow it to cool before use
- Add the washed pork belly into the cooled brine and chill for 8 to 10 hours.
- No more than 10 hours
- Preheat the oven temperature to 160 degree Celsius
- Remove the pork belly from the brine, pat dry and cut into individual portion (or roast it as a whole)
- Heat a frying pan over medium high heat (if using a dutch-oven for slow roasting, use the dutch oven to pan fry the pork belly instead of using a separate pan)
- Slowly place the pork belly - skin side down, into the pan and sear until the skin-side become golden brown
- Add in the beef broth and thyme
- Bring it to boil and transfer the pork belly (skin side down) and broth into a oven-proof casserole {omit this step if using dutch-oven/ cast iron pot/ oven proof pot; just transfer the whole pot into the oven}
- Cover with lid or aluminium foil. Do not fully cover the lid, allow a small opening for the evaporation. If using aluminium foil, poke open a hole on the foil after covering the casserole/pot
- Roast for 2.5 hours
- After 2.5 hours, flip the pork belly with skin-side up and roast for another 1 hour. Add more beef broth if necessary. Cover back the lid/ aluminium foil
- After 1 hour, remove the lid/ aluminium foil and continue to roast for 15 mins.
- Remove the pot of belly from the oven
- Add the figs, balsamic, honey and wine into a saucepot and bring to boil
- Lower the heat to simmer and allow it to simmer for 15 mins (cover with lid)
- Transfer the figs to the serving plate
- Increase the heat to medium high and reduce the liquid until slightly thicken
- Set aside for assembling the dish
- Transfer the pork belly over to the serving plates.
- Serve with balsamic-honey braised figs and drizzle over the balsamic reduction
- Garnish with leaves of baby spinach, sliced radishes and tomatoes