ROAST PORK (Italian Porchetta influence)

This week, I came across a large piece of pork belly with skin at the special meat market I go to.  I've been searching for the right porchetta for a few years now and have come across a couple of places that hit or miss.  And this is my 3rd attempt to make a juicy but crunchy skinned roast pork full of flavor.

First, I bought a 4 lb meaty pork belly with skin.
Seasoning:
1 small bunch of fresh fennel leaves
5 cloves of minced garlic
2 TB of dried or fresh sage
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Olive oil

If you bought the pork belly already tied in strings, remove strings and season well with the ingredients above.

Roll the Pork and tie it with a strings tightly.  Season the outside well with more minced garlic, salt and pepper.  Brush generously with olive oil.

Place roast on top of rack with hot water in pan. (bain marie).  Bake at 330 degrees F oven for 1 hour seam side up.  Then turn pork with seam side down and bake more for about 2 hours for a 4lb pork belly meat to get the skin crisp.

REMOVE ROAST AND LET IT SIT FOR AN HOUR BEFORE CARVING

A successful pork roast has crisp skin and very juicy meat as pictured above.

You can serve this with pickled garnishes or tomato, onion lettuce salad with minced hot peppers, vinegar and shrimp paste.  (Shrimp paste is available in Asian markets.  The version I used is from the Philippines)