BBQ Pork Belly Recipe - Crackling Good Eats

Many people have never had pork belly before... but it's an easy thing cook up on the barbecue, and tasty too. The crisp, crackling skin is a big favourite with a lot of us who indulge in this BBQ pork belly recipe. Set aside enough time to make this properly, since it needs to marinate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Don't rush it - the flavor is amazing when finished, and well worth the time it takes to do properly.

What You Need

• Pork belly
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• Juice of one fresh lemon
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
• 2 tbsp salt (use sea salt if you have it)
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• An aluminum pan

Preparing the Meat

• Pour boiling water over the top (skin side) of the pork belly. Dry thoroughly with paper towels. This will help to get that good crackling.

• Mix up all the marinade ingredients. Pour the marinade into an aluminum pan just large enough to hold the pork belly. Put the pork belly into the pan, skin side up (don't get the marinade on the skin... it should sit on the bottom and sides of the pork belly only).

• Let marinate 10 hours, or overnight.

• Score the skin of the pork belly vertically (this will make it easier to slice after it's cooked). Make sure you don't cut into the meat!

• Lightly rub a small amount of olive oil, salt and crushed or minced garlic into the skin.

Grilling Instructions

• Fire up the BBQ - set to indirect heat, around 200 degrees F.

• Set the aluminum pan with the pork belly onto the barbecue and let cook, covered, for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until done. If you like, you can baste the meat every 15 minutes or so for the last hour of cooking time. This helps to make the skin crispier.

• If you want to use the marinade as a sauce, pour it into a pan and cook over the stove. Bring to a boil.

This BBQ pork belly recipe is pretty versatile... you can basically marinade using any combination of flavours / ingredients you like. The important things to remember are to leave enough time to marinade the meat thoroughly, and leave enough time to cook it slowly. Slice it up right off the grill and serve hot. Serve it up with your favourite veggies (goes great with green beans and carrots), or get some suggestions on what dishes go best with pork BBQ.