1 large piece of Pork Belly (approximately 1.2 – 1.4 kg)
1 litre boiling water
2 large green apples
olive oil
salt
Method …
Remove the pork belly from its wrapping and place on a wire rack in the sink with the rind/skin side facing up. Pour boiling water all over the rind/skin to scald it. Pat the rind/skin dry with paper towel and then place in the fridge uncovered for at least one hour but longer, if possible. This process will help the skin/rind really dry out and turn into a really crunchy crackling.
If not already done by the butcher, score the rind/skin every 1 cm but be careful not to score all the way through to the pork. Scoring the skin will help with carving after the pork belly is cooked.
Peel the apples and cut into eights, removing the core and seeds. Place these loosely in the base of the slow cooker.
Remove the pork from the fridge and place the pork in the slow cooker on top of the bed of apples.
Rub a little oil over the surface of the rind/skin and then sprinkle really generously with salt.
Slow cook on low for approximately 4 – 5 hours depending on how thick the pork belly is.
Half an hour before the pork belly is cooked, preheat the oven to 250 – 260. Place the pork on a wire rack inside a roasting dish and place in the oven. It should take approximately 20 minutes to achieve crispy, crunchy crackling.
Remove the pork belly from oven, rest for 15 minutes and then slice along the scored lines on the rind/skin. Serve with rice and stir fried vegetables or gravy and apple sauce with roast vegetables.
Recipe by Mrs Organised at http://www.mrsorganised.com.au/2016/09/30/slow-cooked-crispy-skinned-pork-belly/