Ingredients
- 2kg pork belly, skin scored
- 2 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large bunch of fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lemons
Method
- Toast the spices in a dry frying pan for a couple of mins. Pound them together in a pestle and mortar with some flaked sea salt, the garlic and half the thyme to make a paste, then mix with 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Lay the pork on a board skin-side down. Rub the herb mix all over the flesh then scatter with the remaining whole thyme leaves. Neatly roll the meat into a joint surrounded by the skin then use butchers’ string to tie the joint tightly at regular intervals to hold the joint together. Cover and chill, leaving to marinate for a few hours or overnight.
- When ready to cook, rub the skin of the joint with plenty of salt and 1 tbsp remaining olive oil. Put it on a wire rack and roast at 200°C for 30 mins. After this time, squeeze the lemons over the skin and turn the heat down to 180°C. Roast for a further 2 hrs. Finally turn the heat back up to 220°C and give it a final blast for another 30 mins or so, to finish the crisping of the skin. Allow to rest somewhere warm for 20 mins.
- Carve up into thick slices and serve with your favourite roast dinner accompaniments.
Source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-roast-rolled-pork-belly
