Roasted Pork Belly

Pork belly is something special.  Priced like dark meat chicken (which I prefer), you can get top quality pork for less than $4 per pound: pastured, raised without weird feed and drugs, local to your market, and super yummy.

The steps:

1. Score the fresh pork belly through the fat with a sharp knife
2. Mix up a rub.  The one featured here included fennel, cayenne, fresh garlic, parsley flakes, salt&pepper, and a generous amount of olive oil
3. Rub it all into those cuts
4. 15 minutes or so in a ~ 500 degree oven to get it crisping
5. An hour to two hours in the same oven ~ 325

When served there will be a serious mix of textures and flavors.  The flesh touching the pan will brown to a crunch; the meat will be tender and juicy; the fat will be soft.  If you prefer "cracklin'" fat, leave it in at 500 longer.