FOOD NEWS
The Temperature Tip For Crispy Skin On Slow-Roasted Pork Belly
BY TOM MAXWELL
The secret for giving your skin-on pork belly the same tender and crispy qualities as bacon is the judicious use of high heat and knowing when to apply it.
To avoid overcooking a pork belly, slow-roast the skin-on meat in an oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of hours until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
Once the two hours have passed, this is the time to crank up the heat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and give the pork belly another 20 to 30 minutes to crisp.
If the roast has been salted correctly, the rind will render out and become crackling. The four requirements for the perfect pork skin are surface area, dryness, salt, and heat.
Scoring the skin creates more surface area to absorb the salt. Salt the belly generously and be sure to get the roast with very high heat to finish it off after cooking.
To ensure the skin crackles, you can scald it by pouring boiling water over it before drying the meat and adding the rub, as it will curl the rind and encourage further crackling.