Roast Rolled Pork Belly With Salsa Verde Recipes

SLOW-ROASTED CRISPY PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Dry skin overnight: Place pork belly on a plate. Pat skin dry with paper towels. Leave uncovered in fridge overnight to dry out the skin. (If you don't have time, pat the skin dry as best you can).
• Preheat oven to 140°C/285°F (120°C fan).
• Season flesh: Drizzle flesh (only) with 1 tsp oil. Sprinkle over 1/2 tsp salt, the pepper and fennel powder. Rub all over the flesh, including on the sides, being sure you get right into all the cracks and crevices.
• Wrap in foil: Place 2 pieces of foil on a work surface. Put the belly in middle of foil, skin side up. Fold the sides in to enclose the belly, forming an open box, pinching corners to seal tightly and make it as snug as possible. Place meat on a tray.
• Season skin: Pat skin dry with paper towels. Rub with 1/2 tsp oil then sprinkle remaining 1/2 tsp salt evenly all over the skin surface, from edge to edge.
• Slow roast 2 1/2 hours: Place in the oven and roast for 2 1/2 hours. After 1 1/2 hours, remove and tighten the foil (pork will have shrunk), and continue cooking. This keeps the pork fat level up as high as possible, and the flesh protected so it stays moist.
• Increase heat: Remove pork from oven, then increase heat to 240°C/465°F (all oven types).
• Level pork: Remove pork from foil and place on a rack set over a tray (using rack is best, but optional). Use scrunched up balls of foil stuffed under pork to prop up so the skin surface is as level and horizontal as possible (see photos in post).
• 30 minutes on high heat! Place the pork back in the oven for 30 minutes, rotating after 15 minutes as needed, until the crackling is deep golden, puffy and crispy all over. If some patches are browning faster, protect with foil patches.
• Rest 10 minutes: Remove pork from oven. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Serving: Slice into 2cm / ⅘"-thick slices using a serrated knife. Pictured in post with Apple Sauce and Vermouth Jus, with a side of Cauliflower Puree (Note 2)! See directions in post for how to plate it up as pictured (fine dining style!), as well as a list of more sauce options.

ROAST ROLLED PORK BELLY WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to gas 6, 220C, fan 200°C With a sharp knife, score the fat side of the meat in a criss-cross pattern. Mix most of the fennel seeds with the lemon zest, garlic, parsley and season. Spread over the non-fat side of the meat, roll tightly and tie.
• Put the meat on a rack in a roasting tin and sprinkle with plenty of salt. Cook for 30 minutes, then turn the heat down to gas 4, 180C, fan 160°C Pour 250ml (8 fl oz) of water into the bottom of the pan (this steams the meat and keeps it moist). Sprinkle the top with the rest of the fennel seeds and cook for a further 2 hours. It should be tender at this point, but if not, cook for another 20 minutes.
• Mix all of the ingredients for the salsa in a small bowl. Slice the pork thickly and erve with the salsa and gratin.

THREE-DAY, TWICE-COOKED PORK ROAST WITH FRIED-HERB SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Day 1: Prep the pork:
• Place pork shoulder on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with 1 tablespoon each kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover pork with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Day 2: Cook the pork:
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Heat a large heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven) over high; add 1/4 cup oil, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to sizzle; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, herbs, and spices and sauté for 1 minute more. Add the wine and bring to a simmer.
• Place the pork on top of the aromatics and add enough stock or water to come halfway up the pork. Bring liquid to a simmer, and then cover pot with a lid or a couple layers of foil.
• Transfer pot to oven and cook for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 325°F and cook until the meat is quite tender, about 3 hours. (To test for doneness, insert a slender, sharp knife into the middle of the roast; it should pull out easily.)
• When meat is cooked, transfer it to a separate container, reserving the pan juices. Set a colander over a large bowl, and strain the pan juice into the bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. Let strained pan juices until fat rises to the top, about 5 minutes. With a small ladle, skim off and discard the fat. Pour the skimmed, strained pan juices over the pork and let cool to room temperature; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Day 3: Crisp the pork and make the sauce:
• One hour before you're ready to serve the pork, remove the meat from its cooking liquid and cut (while still cold) into neat 1-inch slices; set aside. Pour cooking liquid in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer and reduce by a third. Season to taste, cover, and keep warm.
• While your pork comes to room temperature, prepare the salsa verde. Line a large plate with a paper towel, and place it next to the stove, alongside a slotted spoon or "spider" spatula. In a small skillet, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil over medium heat. When the oil starts to look swirly, drop in a single rosemary leaf to test for readiness: if it sinks quietly to the bottom, the oil's not ready. When a leaf sizzles, but not in a frantic way, you are ready to fry.
• Add the rosemary leaves to the oil and fry until the sizzling subsides, about 1 minute. Using the slotted spoon or spider, scoop the herbs from the oil and place the on the paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with the sage leaves in the same oil; remove skillet from heat.
• On a cutting board, gather the parsley leaves into a ball, holding them down on the cutting board as if they were trying to run away. Slice this parsley bundle thinly, as if it were a single vegetable. As you slice, the ball will come apart, but just bunch it back together as best you can, keep slicing, and you'll have a nice head start on the chopping that remains. Anchor the tip of the knife to the cutting board and use a paper cutter-like motion to chop away at your pile. Go over it a couple of times, then slide the knife under, like a spatula, and flip it over. Continue chopping and flipping until the parsley is finely chopped; transfer to a medium bowl.
• Render the garlic a paste by either pounding it in a mortar with a pinch of salt, or with a knife on a cutting board, again with salt. When the garlic is almost a thick liquid, transfer it the bowl with the parsley; add the fried herbs and the olive oil. Stir salsa verde to combine, adding more salt or oil as needed.
• To serve:
• Heat a grill, grill pan, griddle, or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, coat the grill or pan with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Working in batches and adding more oil as needed, cook until well browned and crispy on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
• Pour the reduced pan juices onto a serving platter with the pork (but not over the slices or they will lose some crispness) and arrange pork slices on top. Serve with salsa verde spooned over the top, or served alongside.

ROAST PORK BUTT WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees. Season the pork with 3 1/2 tablespoons of salt and 1/4 cup black pepper, rubbing it in well on all sides. Roast the pork, covered, until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees, 9 to 10 hours. While the pork is roasting, prepare the salsa verde.
• In a blender or food processor, working in batches if necessary, combine the olive oil, 6 tablespoons of the vinegar, parsley, oregano, garlic and pepper flakes. Process to a purée, and transfer to a mixing bowl. Season with salt, ground black pepper and more vinegar to taste.
• To serve, pull the pork apart with tongs or forks or slice it. Serve with the salsa and a salad of bitter greens.