Prepare Pork Belly

Lay out the pork belly. Make sure it is uniform in size and evenly flat. Using a sharp knife trim any edges or remove lumps as needed. Next, make a “test roll” with the pork to see if any of the skin will be tucked in the rolled section. If it is identified that skin is inside the roll then make a mark on the skin. Then unroll the pork and place it pork skin side up and remove any overlapping skin using a sharp knife. The goal is to not have any pork skin within the middle of the roll. Then flip the pork belly over to expose the meat. If excess skin was removed place that section of the pork belly closest to you. Then score the meat side diagonally and then crisscross.

Season Pork Belly

Rub cane vinegar over meat. Then sprinkle 1 Tablespoon Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper over entire scored pork belly. I highly recommend using this turn-key pepper mill for grinding pepper. Then add sliced shallots, mashed and minced garlic and spread evenly over entire pork belly. Then place sliced lemongrass and green onions on the meat closest to you.

Roll and Tie

Prepare butchers twine by cutting 6 to 10 individual strings long enough to tie up the meat in 2-inch sections and set aside. Next begin rolling the pork tight starting at the end closest to you and roll away from you. Secure roll with butchers twine. Place pork belly roll on a baking rack with baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 8-hours uncovered.

Score and Prepare Skin

Remove pork belly roll from refrigerator and allow to rest on countertop for at least 1-hour prior to roasting. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a sharp knife score the pork skin between the butchers twine being careful to not penetrate the meat. Scoring the skin helps with creating a crispy chicharron type skin. Rub olive oil all over the skin and then sprinkle the remaining sea salt on top.

Bake

Place pork belly roll in preheated oven on a baking rack with baking pan to catch any drippings and bake until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This is where an instant read digital kitchen thermometer comes in handy.

Crisp the Skin

Now crank the oven up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and continue baking for about 20 more minutes or until the skin crisps up. Carefully remove pan from oven and allow to rest for 15-minutes prior to slicing. I find it best to use a bread knife for slicing.