Rolled roast with a twist

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2,750 g pork belly (wallowtail with rind)
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 kg onion(s), peeled, halved and sliced
• 8 tbsp vegetable oil
• Nutmeg, freshly grated
• Salt, (Himalayan), from the mill
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 ½ bunch parsley, flat-leaf, coarsely chopped
• 170 g mustard, grainy

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 45 minutes

a special touch with fennel seeds and grainy mustard

A recipe that takes a while, but is worth it! Take the pork belly out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking. I prefer to prepare this rolled roast in a wood-fired oven. Of course, it can also be done in an electric oven, but it will probably take an extra 30 minutes to cook. A core temperature probe is recommended for this. First, I light the wood-fired oven (or the oven at 180°C top/bottom heat). Heat a large pan with oil (I do this right in the oven, where the rolled roast goes next, because the onions and garlic give it even more flavor). I brown the garlic and onions over high heat on the stovetop. Then it goes into the oven and braises for about 30 minutes, turning halfway through. In the meantime, prepare the pork belly: Cut open along the long side and open it up. Caution: Do not cut all the way through! If you prefer, you can have the butcher do this for you. Now spread with the mustard. The amount is variable. I always use a nice, slightly thicker layer. Roast the fennel seeds and peppercorns in a non-stick pan for about 2 minutes. Then roughly grind everything in a mortar and pestle. Then spread evenly over the pork belly. Roughly chop the parsley. I don’t pluck the parsley anymore; I just use the fine stalks. It saves time and doesn’t affect the taste. Once the garlic and onion mixture is ready, season well with nutmeg and Himalayan salt and mix. Spread the mixture evenly over the pork belly and then sprinkle the parsley on top. Then comes the difficult part: rolling and tying. The rolled roast should be rolled tightly. I then add the filling that oozes out into the pan to the side of the rolled roast, which is good for the sauce. Now, into the pan and into the oven. In a wood-fired oven, this will last about 2-2.5 hours, in an electric oven, certainly about 3 hours. In the wood-fired oven, be careful that the crust doesn’t turn black and cover it with aluminum foil occasionally if necessary. Only cover it loosely, otherwise the crust will become soft! After 20 minutes, add about 3/4 liter of water. Add the same amount again halfway through the cooking time. I make sure the rind doesn’t sit in the sauce. I serve it with bread dumplings and sauerkraut with a tomato salad with onions and fresh chives.