Oven Baked Pork Belly

Ingredients

• 1.20 kg raw Pork belly, approx.
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp black pepper

Method

Clean the meat by drying it with a paper towel.

Peel and chop the garlic.

In a small bowl, mix the spices (salt, ground paprika, marjoram, and black pepper).

Add the chopped garlic and mix together.

Rub the meat thoroughly with these spices.

Place bay leaves on top of the pork belly and put the meat in a baking (roasting) bag.

Place the meat on a tray and then into the fridge. Leave it for a few hours, or overnight, to marinate.

Take the meat out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for at least half an hour before placing it into the oven.

Preheat your oven to 200°C with a fan.

Place the baking tray with your meat into the oven and bake for an hour at 200°C.

Baking in a bag ensures that the meat will not be dry.

After an hour, carefully remove the meat from the oven.

Wait a moment so as not to get burned by the steam in the bag, then open the bag carefully and place the meat directly onto a baking tray.

Reduce the temperature to 180°C. Place your meat back into the oven and continue baking for a further 20 minutes so that it browns nicely on top.

To make sure that your pork belly is nicely baked through, check with a food thermometer for the internal temperature. It should be between 68°C and 71°C. If the temperature is not reached, leave it in the oven for a bit longer.

Take the meat out of the oven and let it cool down in the tray.

Once cooled, transfer it onto a chopping board and cut slices as desired.

Enjoy as an addition to your main meal.