Belly of Pork Under Halogen

Belly of pork is fashionable now, and with good reason: it’s cheap, it’s tasty, and it can be cooked in many different ways. For simplicity and speed, however, there’s no better way to cook it than in a halogen oven. You can get the skin crisped and crackled perfectly, taking as long as it needs – and this is wildly variable, because some breeds of pork have skin that takes much longer to crisp up than others. Set the pork on a rack in the halogen oven so that the meat is around 3 inches (7.5cm) away from the element. Turn the heat on to 200C (400F). Cook until the skin is perfectly crackled.

In the meantime, mix 1 teaspoon each of coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a herb mix such as herbes de Provence in a small bowl.

When the skin is done, which can take anything from 10 to 15 minutes, turn the pork over and sprinkle on the herb mixture evenly. Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes, till the pork is cooked medium-rare – that’s all you need for food safety with pork. Turn the meat over again and cook for another minute, just to make sure the crackling is dry. Leave to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Mmmm, pork belly.