Holidays are coming up, and it is time for a treat! Not in the sugar-laden cookie-overload sense of the meaning, but in the low-carb, eating fat and losing weight kind of way - without the sweeteners, the grains, and the gluten.
One of the best ways to cook pork belly is to slow-roast it so that the crackling, also known as the mouthwatering crispy skin, is just perfect.
And if it takes a try or two to get it right, know that it will all be incredibly edible, and you can chop it up in cubes to sprinkle over your zoodles or to dress up your cauliflower chowder.
How to achieve that irresistible layer of crackle? Make sure that the skin side is up and absolutely dry - or at least as dry as you can get it.
If need be, you can dry the meat off with a paper towel, but rubbing the salt into the skin is the real answer, and one cannot forget to score the skin multiple times or to poke it repeatedly with a wooden skewer so that the baked skin comes out of the oven tasting like candy.
To tame the enormous amount of fat, which you are going to love - trust us, a little dose of celeriac mash is in order. Serve up a big plate of steamed leafy greens or a bowl of some fresh lettuce leaves, and you will have yourself a bountiful salad, which is really quite a delicious indulgence.
Keto Salt and Pepper Pork Belly Recipe
Serves: 4 Prep: 5 min Cook: 1h 30 min
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. pork belly, bone-in
- 1 tbsp. flaked sea salt
- 1 tbsp. cracked black pepper
- 2 onions, quartered
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Score the pork belly skin, taking care not to cut down to the meat, then rub it generously with salt and pepper. The secret to crispy crackling is to make sure the skin is dry; salt aids in that.
- Place the pork belly in a roasting pan and add the quartered onions.
- Put the pork belly in the oven and allow it to roast for 30 minutes at 400 F, then turn the heat down to 320 F and roast for 25 minutes per ½ lb.
- When the pork belly is cooked through, switch the grill/broiler on and allow the skin to crisp. Keep an eye on it, as it can burn easily.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes, then slice and serve.
📖 Recipe
Keto Salt and Pepper Pork Belly Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. pork belly bone-in
- 1 tbsp. flaked sea salt
- 1 tbsp. cracked black pepper
- 2 onions quartered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Score the pork belly skin, taking care not to cut down to the meat, then rub it generously with salt and pepper. The secret to crispy crackling is to make sure the skin is dry; salt aids in that.2 lbs. pork belly, 1 tbsp. flaked sea salt, 1 tbsp. cracked black pepper
- Place the pork belly in a roasting pan and add the quartered onions.2 onions
- Put the pork belly in the oven and allow it to roast for 30 minutes at 400 F, then turn the heat down to 320 F and roast for 25 minutes per ½ lb.
- When the pork belly is cooked through, switch the grill/broiler on and allow the skin to crisp. Keep an eye on it, as it can burn easily.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes, then slice and serve.
SLawson says
I have made this 4x now because my husband is obsessed. A little embarrassed to say I never noticed the recipe called for bone-in but it still comes out great every time! The 2nd time I made it, I fell to temptation and added some other spices/marinade and it was absolutely unnecessary. So much better with just salt and pepper. Thank you for the recipe!