2 kg boneless, rind-on pork belly
The juice of one lime & one lemon
2 tsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp black peppercorns
3 tbsp fennel seed
3 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tbsp sage, finely chopped
1 tbsp dry oregano.
12 cloves garlic, grated
2 tsp baking powder
Place pork belly skin-side down on a large cutting board. Using a sharp kitchen knife, score the flesh at an angle using strokes about 1-inch apart. Rotate knife 90 degrees and repeat to create a diamond pattern in the meat (#). Flip the belly skin side up and using a sharp pointed knife, poke the meat all-over.
Squeeze the juice of the lime and lemon and rub all over the pork (meaty part). Leave it for 10 minutes. Then pat dry before applying the seasoning.
Season pork with the mixtures of pepper & fennel, crushed red pepper, chopped sage, grated ginger & garlic, dry oregano, and sea salt. Rub the mixture deeply into the cracks and crevices in the meat.
Place the seasoned pork belly skin side down. Leave the meat at room temperature for 2 hours before roasting.
Roll the belly lengthwise into a tight log. Cut 10 pieces of kitchen twine long enough to tie around the pork and lay them down in regular intervals along your cutting board, about 1-inch apart each. Lay rolled pork seam-side down on top of strings. Working from the outermost strings towards the center, tie up roast tightly.
Combine 2 tBsp sea salt with 2 tSp baking powder. Rub mixture over entire surface of the Porchetta. This is a key element to get a crispy and cracking skin.
Preheat oven to 150°C and adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Place roasting pan lined with the parchment paper in the oven and roast porchetta for about two hours, baste with the dripping every half hour.
Increase oven temperature to 250°C and continue roasting until completely crisp and blistered skin (20 minutes).
Let it rest for 15 minutes. Slice with a serrated knife into 1-inch thick disks and serve!
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