Roast pork with crackling

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g bones (veal meat bones or other)
• 1 liter chicken broth (powder or homemade)
• 1 ½ kg pork belly, ready to cook with rind (wammerl) not cut
• 1 carrot(s)
• 150 g celeriac
• 3 large onions, white
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 250 ml red wine, also dark beer or malt beer possible
• 1 tbsp oil (preferably rapeseed oil)
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 600 g potatoes, (small) waxy, quantity can be varied as desired
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves garlic, halved and peeled
• 1 slice(s) ginger
• 1 piece(s) lemon peel, untreated (1 strip for 1.5 kg meat)
• Marjoram, dried, 2/3 tsp approx.
• ½ tsp caraway seeds, approx.
• Salt
• Pepper (black, ground)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

There are many great roasts here. This is a version that I’m completely satisfied with, even after making several times. The meat is tender (be careful not to overcook it) and very rich in flavor, as well as a great crust (lumpy). And now let’s get started: First, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Spread the bones on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 40-50 minutes (approximately) until golden brown. After removing them, let the fat drain off (use a paper towel). I always do this the day before. You usually have to get up quite early for a Sunday roast, unless you have two ovens. Now let the oven cool down to 130 degrees Celsius or preheat it. Sear the pork belly on the meat side in a pan for just under a minute (I don’t use any fat, or rather, I just rub the bottom with fat using a cloth). The meat should then be placed in a roasting pan (meat size and roasting pan should match) with the rind facing down in half of the hot broth and cooked uncovered on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour. Peel the onions, carrot(s), and celeriac. Slice the onions into wedges, cut the carrots diagonally into 0.5 cm thick slices, and dice the celery into 1 cm cubes (this is fine dining; I don’t think you have to stick to the instructions strictly). Wash and peel the potatoes, and halve or quarter them depending on their size. Heat a little oil in the (used) pan and sauté all the vegetables over medium heat for another 5-10 minutes, then set aside. I only use a few potatoes for flavor and to bind them together. We don’t like the potatoes too much when serving with the vegetables. You can also use the entire amount of potatoes and leave them out when serving. After about 1 hour, remove the meat from the roasting pan, set the oven at 160°C, and in the meantime, score the rind in diamond shapes about centimeter by centimeter with a sharp knife. Make sure you only score the rind and not the meat. Cover the meat and set it aside. Drain the stock from the roasting pan and set it aside. Pat the roasting pan dry with kitchen paper and place it on the stove at a low temperature. Let the powdered sugar caramelize lightly in the roasting pan, then stir in the tomato paste and sauté briefly. Gradually deglaze with about 1/3 red wine (dark beer/malt beer) and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Add the vegetables (with or without potatoes, or with a little of it) and the browned bones to the roasting pan, pour in the used stock and, if necessary, the remaining stock (add more later during roasting), and then place the roast pork on top, rind-side up. Now roast in a preheated oven at 160°C on the middle rack for about 2 hours. Remove the roast from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 220°C (top heat). In the meantime, place the roast on a baking sheet and salt the rind, then roast on the lowest rack for about 20-30 minutes (please watch) until crispy. In the meantime, strain the sauce and pour it into a saucepan. Remove the bones and add the vegetables to the roasting pan, then set aside. If necessary, trim the fat from the sauce (the fat will float to the top). Now add the bay leaves and let the sauce simmer slightly. Add the garlic, ginger, lemon zest, marjoram, and caraway seeds to the sauce and let it steep for 5-10 minutes. Now pour the sauce through a sieve back into the vegetables (do you want the vegetables or not?), heat through, and season with salt and pepper. Cut the roast into slices and serve with or without the braised vegetables and sauce. We tried a variety of different versions. With and without vegetables, with and without potatoes. As a side dish, we had potato dumplings (half/half and raw), as well as bread dumplings or spaetzle. Red cabbage and peas/carrots were also served. It was important to us that the meat was tender, tasty, and the dumplings were wonderfully crispy.