Pork belly is the part of the pig that becomes bacon when it’s salted and cured, but it makes a great roast too. Brining is a great way to get some herbal flavor complexity into a rich, unctuous belly of pork while the sugar and salt in the brine also firm up the belly’s texture without sacrificing tenderness. This method takes a few days because of the brining, but the amount of work for this is small, and the payoff is big—delicious, flavorful, rich pork belly that can be served as is or in a variety of other ways.
You can make the brine ahead of time, but it cannot be reused. The pork needs to sit in the brine for at least 3 days and up to 10 days, so plan ahead! I think 7 days is the sweet spot.
SERVES: 6
FOR BRINING THE PORK BELLY:
1 piece pork belly, 3–4 pounds
2 quarts warm water
2 big sprigs thyme
3 dried bay leaves
½ cup sugar
½ cup kosher salt
6 cloves garlic, stem ends removed
FOR ROASTING THE PORK BELLY:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
Warm water to cover the bottom of the roasting pan
2 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
2 big sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Brine the pork: Cut the pork in two pieces. In a container big enough to hold the pork and water, add the thyme, bay leaves, sugar, and salt to the water and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Gently crush the garlic with the flat of a knife and add it to the brine. Submerge the pork in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 days and up to 10 days.
Roast the pork: When you’re ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the pork from the brine and rinse it. Discard the brine. Season the pork with the salt and white pepper.
Pour warm water into a roasting pan fitted with a rack. You want to cover the bottom of the pan, but the water should not touch the pork. Put the garlic and thyme on the rack and lay the pork, fat-side up, on the rack. Drizzle the pork with the olive oil. Cover the pan with foil and roast for 2¾–3 hours. Remove the foil from the pan and carefully pour off the fat that has accumulated in the pan.
Remove the pork belly from the oven and let the roast rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
If you’re using this in another recipe, let the pork rest until it reaches room temperature. Put a pan the same size or larger (like a half sheet pan) on top of the roast and weight it evenly with cans or a heavy skillet. Let the pork rest overnight in the refrigerator and cut into blocks or slices, and proceed with the recipe.