Crispy-Skinned Pork Belly (Oven Roast)

Shatteringly crisp crackling over succulent, juicy pork with a deeply savory, salty finish—pure comfort with serious wow-factor.

Ingredients

• 1.2–1.5 kg (2.6–3.3 lb) pork belly slab, skin on, bones removed
• 2 tsp fine salt (for the meat side)
• 1–1 1/2 tbsp coarse salt or flaky salt (for the skin)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves, finely grated)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional but excellent)
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable/canola), for rubbing meat side only

Method

• 1

  Step 1: Dry the skin (key to crisp crackling)

  Pat the pork belly skin very dry with paper towels. Using a sharp craft knife/utility blade or very sharp knife, score the skin in 5–7 mm (¼") lines, cutting through the skin but **not** deep into the meat (you want shallow cuts—think “skin only”).

• 2

  Step 2: Season the meat (not the skin)

  Preheat oven to **160°C / 320°F (140°C fan)**. Turn pork belly over (meat side up). Rub with **1 tbsp oil**, then season evenly with **2 tsp fine salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika**.

• 3

  Step 3: Salt the skin (for blistering)

  Sprinkle **coarse/flaky salt** evenly over the skin, working it into the score lines. The skin should look well-dusted.

• 4

  Step 4: Slow roast to get juicy, tender meat

  Place pork belly on a rack over a tray (or on a foil-lined tray with a few scrunched foil “balls” underneath to elevate it). Roast at **160°C / 320°F** for **1 hour 10 minutes**.

• 5

  Step 5: Blast for crackling

  Increase oven to **240°C / 465°F (220°C fan)**. Roast for **20–25 minutes** until the skin is **deep golden, blistered, and audibly crisp**.

• 6

  Step 6: Rest, then slice

  Rest pork belly **10 minutes**. This keeps the meat juicy and makes slicing cleaner. Slice between score lines for neat pieces.

Tips

• **Don’t oil the skin**: Oil can inhibit blistering. Keep oil only on the meat side.
• **If the skin won’t crisp**: It usually means moisture. Pat dry, then return to the hot oven for another 5–10 minutes. You can also move the tray higher in the oven.
• **No rack?**: Make a “foil rack” by scrunching foil into thick ropes/balls to lift the pork off the tray so heat circulates.
• **Make-ahead**: Roast at the low temp earlier, then do the high-heat crackling blast just before serving.
• **Serving ideas**: Great with simple sides like roasted vegetables, a crisp salad, or steamed rice to soak up the juices.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate)