If you’re looking for a light, low-calorie meal, this isn’t it. I calculated the nutritional info based on four ounce servings and it’s still intense, so govern yourself accordingly.
With so few ingredients, you can’t hide poor quality. Find yourself a butcher like Frigs that specializes in naturally-raised meat or buy your pork directly from a farmer. Factory meat just won’t do. As for the balsamic, use the best you can find and afford. The five-dollar grocery store stuff doesn’t even come close to a quality, aged balsamic and it’s just to thin and vinegary. I used a black mission fig version from Frescolio and the flavours in it are nothing short of amazing. I strongly suggest lightly drizzling a little more on after slicing the belly.
Time: 4 hours
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
4 cups water
3 tablespoons kosher salt
3 pound piece of skin-on pork belly
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (ideally black mission fig)
Preparation:
Dissolve the salt in the water to make a brine. Place the pork belly in a zipper seal bag and pour in the brine. Remove as much air from the bag as possible, seal and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300F.
Discard the brine and rinse the pork belly under cool, running water.
Score the skin of the pork belly in a crosshatch pattern.
Place the belly skin side up in a shallow roasting pan. Baste the skin with the vinegar, getting plenty into the scoring.
Roast the belly for three hours then, turn oven to 450F and roast until skin is crispy (about 20 minutes).
Remove from oven and let rest for ten minutes. Slice and serve immediately.