Crispy Milk-braised Pork Belly
Gourmet results made easy! This recipe transforms classic pork belly into a luxuriously tender, flavor-packed dish. A creamy milk braise followed by a burst of high heat creates the most addictive, crispy crackling.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3.3 lbs pork belly
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp salt flakes
- 33 oz milk
- 1 whole head garlic, halved (I used several unpeeled cloves)
- 4-6 sage leaves
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 240°C (460°F) or 220°C (430°F) fan-forced.
- If not already scored, score skin with a sharp knife making sure you don't cut down to the meat. Place pork in a roughly 30cm x 25cm (12 x 10 inch) metal baking tray (it must NOT be glass or it will shatter). Alternatively, use a throw away foil dish.
- Rub pork all over with oil. Rub salts into scored skin, making sure you rub it into the scored cuts. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until skin starts to blister.
- Reduce oven to 180°C (360°F) or 160°C (320°F) fan-forced. Pour milk around pork (be careful of steam and to not pour any milk over the skin). Add garlic, sage and seeds to milk. Roast for 1 hour.
- Increase oven to 260°C (500°F) or 240°C (460*F) fan-forced. Roast for 10 minutes or until skin is blistered and puffed all over. Remove from oven. Carefully lift pork out of braising liquid and transfer to a plate. Stand loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes before carving (you'll want to wipe away milk curds from around the meat before serving).
Notes
I used a piece of pork belly half the weight in the recipe, though I still found the cooking times and temperatures to work perfectly well.
Nutrition
Calories: 1400kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 29gFat: 139gSaturated Fat: 51gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gMonounsaturated Fat: 64gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 198mgSodium: 527mgPotassium: 707mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 278IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 213mgIron: 1mg
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