Ingredients
| 2.25kg thin end of pork belly (without bones, but with cartilage), cut into 3-cm chunks | |
| 6 fat garlic cloves | |
| 1 large handful flat-leafed parsley | |
| 200ml olive oil | |
| a good grinding black pepper | |
| 150ml white wine vinegar | |
| 1 litre mild-flavoured olive oil, for deep-frying | |
| sea salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| PRESERVED LEMON SALSA | |
| juice of 1 lemon | |
| 3 preserved lemons, rinds finely chopped | |
| 5 tablespoons capers, chopped | |
| 35g flat-leafed parsley, finely chopped | |
| 20g fresh oregano, finely chopped | |
| 20g mint, finely chopped | |
| 1 green chilli, finely diced | |
| 150ml extra virgin olive oil |
I just adore these crispy, golden pieces of heaven. I’m not sure if my mum would agree with me regarding the lemon salsa, but I know she loves to serve this with a simple tomato salad, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and a really punchy vinegar, such as sherry vinegar or a decent red wine vinegar.
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Instructions
| 1. | Put the pork belly chunks in a large dish. |
| 2. | Mash the garlic with a pestle and mortar and add to the dish, along with the parsley, olive oil, pepper and vinegar. |
| 3. | Mix well, then cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge. |
| 4. | The next day, preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan. |
| 5. | Transfer the pork belly chunks and their marinade to a roasting tin, then cover with kitchen foil and roast for 1½ hours. |
| 6. | Meanwhile, make the salsa. Simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, then season well and set aside. |
| 7. | Once the pork has finished roasting, pour the oil for deep- frying into a deep pan over a medium-high heat and preheat to 170°C. |
| 8. | If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small cube of bread in the oil – it will brown in about 25-30 seconds when the oil is hot enough. |
| 9. | Drain the meat, then, working in batches, fry for 5-6 minutes until the pieces are really golden and crisp. |
| 10. | Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. |
| 11. | Once all the meat has been fried, serve with the salsa. |
This is an edited
extract from The
Spanish Home Kitchen
by José Pizarro,
published by Hardie
Grant Books in 2022,
RRP $55. Available
in stores nationally.
Photography by
Emma Lee.