Serves 6
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 2 hours (plus 15 minutes resting time)
INGREDIENTS
2 kg (4lb 6½ oz) free-range pork belly, skin on
½ tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoon coconut oil, duck fat, tallow or other good quality fat, melted
3 kaffir lime leaves, in chiffonnade (finely shredded)
3 curry leaves, in chiffonnade (finely shredded)
Spice Mix
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cm piece of ginger, finely grated
100 g (3½ oz) fresh turmeric, grated
6 birds eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
6 golden shallots, peeled and chopped
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
4 curry leaves, finely sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, white parts only, finely chopped
1½ tablespoons coriander seeds, crushed
3 tablespoons duck fat, lard or other good quality fat, melted
1 tablespoons black peppercorns, finely crushed
2cm piece galangal, coarsely chopped
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C. Gently pour 250 ml of boiling water over the pork skin and pat the pork belly skin and meat dry with paper towel. Discard the water. Drizzle the pork skin with 1 tablespoon of oil or other fat and rub over the salt, covering the skin evenly and set aside.
2
To make the spice mix paste, process all the ingredients in a food processor to the consistency of a thick, fine paste.
3 Heat a frying pan with the remaining coconut oil over medium heat. Add the spice paste and fry for 3 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4 Place the pork skin-side-down on a working bench. Spread a layer of the spice paste over the pork belly, then spread a thin, even layer of the shredded lime and curry leaves over the paste lengthwise. Carefully roll the pork belly, starting from the long side to form a tight roll. Tie the pork belly at 5 intervals with kitchen string or twine and set aside.
5 Place the pork on a rack set in a roasting tray and roast the pork for 30 minutes or until the roast starts to crackle. Reduce the heat to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) and cook for a further 1 – 1½ hours, or until cooked through and the pork juices run clear when inserting skewer into the thickest part of the pork. Baste the pork occasionally with the juices from the pan. Once the pork has cooked, allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
6 Serve with Asian greens and fresh lime.
