Crispy Pork Belly

Thanks to social media, food bloggers, and celebrity chefs with too much time on their hands, pork belly was/is all the rage. It's a common sight on menus across the land, and you can't channel-surf past a food show without seeing it. It also helps that people are no longer terrified to eat a little fat.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 6 hr
• Total Time: 6 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 87 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or to taste
• kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ½ pound whole pork belly, skin removed
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).

Step 2

Season pork belly all over with smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Wrap pork in parchment paper; wrap a second time in aluminum foil, and a third time in another sheet of aluminum foil. Place pork packet in a baking dish.

Step 3

Roast in the preheated oven until tender for 6 hours. Let cool in wrappings to room temperature; place cooled packet in refrigerator and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

Step 4

Unwrap chilled meat. Save any rendered fat that falls away when unwrapping pork.

Step 5

Cut meat into 6 equal-size portions. Cut 1/8-inch by 1/8-inch slashes in the fat-side of the pork. Season with salt.

Step 6

Heat 2 tablespoons reserved pork fat in a skillet over medium heat. Place pork belly, fat side down, in hot fat; cook until well-browned on all sides and heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork belly to a plate, drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper.