Description
THE PORK
Belly is the most layered cut on the pig. Alternating fat and muscle running through each slice, a good fat cap on top, and a skin that, treated properly, gives you some of the best crackling you’ll get from any cut. That layered structure only comes from pigs that have been raised slowly and fed well. Ours comes from the Lincolnshire Pork Company — quality British pigs raised to high welfare standards here in Lincolnshire — and each slice is prepared by our own butchers at Grasmere Farm.
COOKING YOUR BELLY SLICES
However you cook them, two things apply across the board: don’t rush them, and make sure the skin is as dry as possible before it hits the heat. Pat it dry with kitchen paper before cooking — a dry skin will make cracking crackling.
In the oven:
Preheat to 220°C / 200°C fan. Pat the skin dry and score it at 1cm intervals if it hasn’t been scored already. Season generously with flaked salt, working it into the scores. Place skin side up on a rack in a roasting tin. Roast for 25–30 minutes until the skin is blistered and crisp and the fat has rendered through the meat. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
On the barbecue:
Cook over indirect heat, skin side up, for 20–25 minutes turning the meat side down for the last 5 minutes. Move skin side down over direct coals for the final 2–3 minutes to blister the skin — watch it closely, it catches quickly. For a marinade, apply soy, honey, ginger and garlic to the meat side only — but not the skin, as it won’t crackle properly.
In the air fryer:
200°C for 18–22 minutes, skin side up, turning for the last 5 minutes. Particularly good for belly slices — the circulating heat renders the fat efficiently and gets the skin properly crisp without needing the oven. Check the internal temperature — 70°C at the thickest part before serving.
In a pan:
Medium-high heat, skin side down first for 8–10 minutes to render the fat and begin crisping the skin. Turn and cook the meat side for a further 5–6 minutes. Finish skin side up under a hot grill for 3–4 minutes if you want the skin crispier. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THEM
For a midweek meal: roasted slices with a sharp apple sauce, roasted new potatoes and something green. The richness of the belly needs acidity alongside it — apple, pickled red cabbage, or a dressed watercress salad all work well.
On the barbecue: corn on the cob, coleslaw, and good bread to mop up the juices. Cold beer alongside.
The 1.35kg and 2.7kg packs also lend themselves to batch cooking — roast the whole lot low and slow, refrigerate, then reheat individual slices in a hot pan or air fryer as needed. The skin re-crisps well and the meat reheats without drying out. A useful trick for a busy week.
STORAGE & DELIVERY
Delivered fresh in chilled packaging. Keep refrigerated and use within the useby on the packaging. Suitable for home freezing — freeze on day of delivery. For larger packs, freeze in portions and defrost in the fridge for 12 hours before cooking.
