Doing pork belly for the first time today - is this temp too high?

Elliott S

Hi all,

I'm roasting pork belly for the first time this afternoon. I'm considering the below recipe as it has a good rating. But I'm worried about the quoted temperature at the given time. It says roast for an hour at 180c then baste and roast for another hour and a half at 180c, then at 200c for 30-40 minutes. That's just over three hours total, or three hours if I stick to 30 minutes at the end. It's not a fat lump of meat, it's quite thin so I'm worried that those temps are too high and that it will dry out or become tough.

Would anyone here have any experience of roasting pork belly? Would you consider those temps too high? I'm asking beforehand because I don't to ruin the meat, I hate food waste.

Thanks!

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9098/sticky-slowroast-belly-of-pork

the beer revolu

I think those instructions seem to fall between the two stools of fast and slow roasting.

So, yes, too high a temp.

If going for a slow roast is cook it at about 150 for about 3 hours then remove the crackling and put it under the grill.

If doing a fast roast (also lovely with belly) I'd roast it at about 200 for an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the size.

garbeth

I've used this one for pork belly before and it's lovely.

http://www.food.com/recipe/gordon-ramsays-slow-roasted-pork-belly-524387?photo=376682

Elliott S

the beer revolu wrote: »

I think those instructions seem to fall between the two stools of fast and slow roasting.

So, yes, too high a temp.

If going for a slow roast is cook it at about 150 for about 3 hours then remove the crackling and put it under the grill.

If doing a fast roast (also lovely with belly) I'd roast it at about 200 for an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the size.

Thanks! I forgot to mention that I have half the amount of meat quoted in the recipe. They say 1.3kg, I have around 850g. So I think I definitely need to adjust the temp downwards.

A lot of the comments underneath the recipe mention burning so I don't know why the recipe has such a high rating!

I'm not sure whether to do fast roast or slow roast. I'd probably prefer the meat to be not too soft, considering the fat content. On a rasher, I don't like flabby fat so I'd like to avoid that in belly too if I could. Would that mean a fast roast would be better?

I'm also going to have to improvise a wire rack for my roasting tin as I don't have one for it currently!

Alun

I'd normally do it at 160 Fan for about 2 - 2.5 hrs, although I actually set my oven at 140 as I tested it recently with an oven thermometer and discovered it's actually consistently 20 deg over what the dial shows.

Elliott S

Alun wrote: »

I'd normally do it at 160 Fan for about 2 - 2.5 hrs, although I actually set my oven at 140 as I tested it recently with an oven thermometer and discovered it's actually consistently 20 deg over what the dial shows.

What amount would you usually have? I have about 2lbs.

Alun

Elliott S wrote: »

What amount would you usually have? I have about 2lbs.

It doesn't really make very much difference, if any IMO.

Changing oven cooking times based on weight is only really important when you're talking about big joints where you're concerned about the very inside of the meat getting hot enough, for something like pork belly which is flat, and relatively thin, it's not a big issue.

Elliott S

Oh, never updated this thread.

I went with a fast roast. It was lovely, I'd liken the texture of the meat to a nice juicy pork chop.

Next time I'll try slow-roasting, for variety.

I am amazed at how cheap this lovely cut of meat is!

trashcan

Have never tried pork belly, but I love pork. Spent an age trying to cook it properly. Unless you get a shoulder it nearly always seemed just to dry up. Have finally cracked it though, with pork steak. I battoned it out, rubbed it with pork seasoning, sage and smoked paprika, stuffed it, rolled(widthways, not lengthways) covered it in bacon and gravy and slowed roasted it for 3 hours at 150 in a covered dish. Absolutely delicious and tender as anything. (I'd post a pic of the finished joint if I wasn't such a Luddite.)