We all love porchetta, but honestly, how often do we want a whole rolled belly hanging around? So, this is what I do when I want a taste of the central Italian classic without endless leftovers: pork belly slices. They’re dry rubbed with salt and fennel seeds and crisped up in the oven so there’s a strong fat-to-crackled, bobbly skin ratio, and they’re finished with a jazzy lemon, garlic and herb sauce for that characteristic fragrant hit. Pork belly slices are underrated. Sure, nothing hits quite like a whole piece of roasted meat, honey-toned skin rendered to perfection. But we don’t all live in a family of four or have numerous mouths to feed every evening. What am I supposed to do when the belly craving hits? Traditional porchetta is often served cooled or at room temperature, while this is best served hot. Thinly sliced fat works well cold, while wobbly chunks are at their glistening, iridescent best served melt-in-the-mouth hot. Try to choose slices with a good crescent of milky fat on the outside of the strip as this has more surface area for crisping up and therefore more potential for satisfying that Crackling Craving.
How to serve it:
Porchetta Vibes Sliced Pork Belly 500g pork belly slices Sauce Preheat the oven to 140°C fan. Toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until fragrant, then grind to a powder and combine with the garlic and onion powders. Pat the pork belly nice and dry with kitchen paper - don’t skip this as it’s important for crispness. Rub the pork belly slices all over with olive oil then coat in the spice mixture. Place onto a wire rack set over a baking tray and top with the rosemary and thyme sprigs. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, then baste with the fat and cook for a further 30 minutes (they should be tender but the fat not totally crisp). Turn the oven up to 200°C and cook for a further 10-20 minutes, or until the pork belly slices are crisp, watching carefully to ensure they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and rest while you make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl with some salt and mixing well. Serve the crispy pork belly slices with the sauce and your chosen side dishes.
Until next time, Flavour Fans x
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Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Flavour nugget #14: 'porchetta vibes' sliced pork belly
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