Pork Belly Roast

Ingredients:

2 1/2-3lb pork belly roast

2 TBSP favorite dried herb (my grandmother uses fennel seeds)

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 large russet potato, cubed

2 medium carrots, scrubbed vigorously

1 celery stalk, chopped

2-4 cups beef or chicken stock

Salt and pepper

1. Heat your oven to a high temperature. I'm cooking with gas so my range says "Max" and that is what I use, it is approximately 550 degrees.

2. Slice the pork belly (skin side) just down to the meat, cutting through the fat, about 1 inch apart in both directions to create a grid effect. Generously salt and pepper underside (meat) portion. Now back on the skin side, sprinkle only 1 TBSP of the herbs on the skin side. Then drizzle one TBSP of olive oil. Gently rub the herbs into the crevices. Repeat for second TBSP of both the herbs and the olive oil.

3. Drizzle some olive oil into the bottom of your baking dish. Add all the vegetables and generously salt and pepper (the veggies are to keep your roast off the bottom so that it doesn't burn and will also be used for a gravy).

4. Set the pork loin on top of your veggies and put in the oven for 10-15 minutes until you notice the skin bubble and crisp. Then reduce the heat to 325 and continue to bake 1 1/2 hours.

5. Remove roast from oven, place meat on your cutting board (to rest, don't cut it yet! Let the juices get sucked back into the meat first).

6. Put the veggies in a large sauce pan on medium and mash. Add just enough beef (or chicken stock) to make a paste. Now whisk in enough stock to form a gravy. Strain with a mesh strainer to remove any large pieces of veggie (this is how I trick my boys into eating vegetables... I do leave a bit untrained as I love the chunky veggie gravy).

7. Slice cracklings off the roast (keep it for your own enjoyment). Slice roast and serve with veggie gravy.