preheat the oven to 450F. using a utility knife, score the skin of the pork belly.

rub kosher salt into the the skin and in between the cuts. place in a roasting pan and pop it into the hot oven for 30 minutes or until the skin starts to puff and turns to crackling.

reduce temperature to 350F and roast for 1 hour.

remove pan from oven, transfer pork to a cutting board and add 2 larger carrots cut lengthwise, 2 celery ribs cut into large chunks, 2 red onions cut into quarters, 1 head of garlic broken into cloves and a small bunch of thyme. baste vegetables with rendered pork fat and place pork on top.roast for another hour.

or until meat is fork tender, crackling is super crispy and vegetables are soft and caramelized. you can use the roasted veg to make a gravy but primarily they are used as an aromatic and a rack to elevate the pork so it is not sitting and boiling in its fat.

let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes. cut or slice the belly as desired. this can be messy.



and devour (a little goes a long way--this stuff is rich and decadent and habit forming).

you can use a blend of herbs and spices or dry rubs instead of straight salt.

photography: Edward Pond

styling: David Grenier