This is what I do.
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Prick the skin with a fork as many times as you can.
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Then combine and mix equal parts baking soda and salt, and then rub that mixture generously on the skin.
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Now let the pork belly rest, uncovered, overnight in the fridge (or for about 8-10 hours).
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Remove from fridge and rinse off the baking soda/salt mixture. Pour some white vinegar over the skin to make sure all of the baking soda is neutralized. Rinse again if necessary.
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Season and marinade (with the witch’s brew of your choice) the meat side, leaving the skin bare.
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Preheat your oven to about 350F, then lay your pork belly strip skin side up on a cast iron pan and stick it in the oven for about an hour to 1.5 hours, then switch on your broiler function (if you’ve got one) and increase the temp to 500F or as high as your oven will go until the skin starts to bubble. Remove the pan and let it rest. (At this point you can also pour some red wine into the pan to deglaze, reserving the liquid to make a nice sauce for your pork belly or for some roasted veggies as an accoutrement to the pork.)
- If you do not have a broiler function then just jack up your oven as high as it will go and remove when the skin starts to bubble and pop.
- Cut up into the sized cubes of your choice and serve, esp. with some of that sauce you made by deglazing the pan.