Recipe for Six People:
Meal Type: Dinner
Cooking Duration: 2 hours
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Required Ingredients
– One large belly of a pig, approximately 2 kilograms, with the skin left on and the bones taken out
– Three spoonfuls of Dijon mustard
– Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 50 grams of anchovies
– Finely grated zest from 2 lemons
– Four cloves of garlic, minced
– A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely diced
– Three spoonfuls of capers, finely diced
– Butcher’s string
– Vegetable oil
– The oven needs to be heated up to 150 degrees Celsius. Place the pork belly on a cutting board with the skin side up. Delicately remove a quarter of the skin from the belly’s right side by sliding your knife underneath (or have your butcher do it for you).
– By using a small, pointed knife, create a pattern of diagonal incisions on the skin, only going as far as the fat layer. Flip the belly to seasoning the meat side.
– Generously apply Dijon mustard on the meat’s surface. Follow it with liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper, then place the anchovies uniformly across the meat. Scatter the lemon zest and garlic on top, and then sprinkle the parsley and capers.
– Start rolling the meat into a cylinder shape, akin to a Swiss-roll. The skin should be on the outside while the seasoning occupies the centre. Employ the butcher’s string to secure it into place; often, about eight single loops tied similarly to shoelaces. Once your roll is assembled, pour some oil over the skin and dust it liberally with additional sea salt.
– Situate it on a rack in the oven and roast for about one and a half hours. Afterwards, raise the heat to 240 degrees Celsius and continue cooking for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until the skin transforms into a crispy crackling.
– Allow the roast to rest for 15 minutes prior to removing the string. Once done, cut it into slices and it is ready to be served.
