Sage Roasted Pork Belly Recipes

ROASTED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Combine paprika, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, and cayenne pepper in a bowl; rub onto the non-fat side of pork belly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove plastic wrap from pork belly and place pork belly, fat-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Make shallow cuts into the fat of the pork belly in a checkered pattern. Rub lemon juice into the fat.
• Roast in the preheated oven until fat begins to brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue cooking until fat is crispy, about 1 hour more. Remove from oven and let rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

SAGE-AND-GARLIC-CRUSTED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together garlic, sage, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub mixture all over pork.
• Heat a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil. Add pork, and brown all over, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 145 degrees to 150 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board; tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

ROASTED PORK WITH SAGE, ROSEMARY, AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Using a long knife with a thin blade or a clean sharpening steel, make a channel lengthwise through the center of the loin running from one end to the other.
• Mix the chopped sage and rosemary in a small bowl. Add the minced garlic and 1 tablespoon oil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then poke it through the channel in the meat (I find it easiest to work from both ends more or less at once).
• Season the outside of the loin generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold the loin. Brown the meat on all sides and on each end, about 8 minutes in all.
• Add the herb sprigs and crushed garlic to the pan and put it in the oven. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the loin and roast 15 minutes more, basting from time to time with the pan drippings.
• Remove the pan from the oven, cover with foil, and set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes to rest the meat. To serve, cut the loin into generous slices, season with sea salt, and drizzle with the pan juices.
• Chef's notes:
• If you are roasting a larger, thicker loin, make two channels through the meat so the seasoning can be better distributed. Cook the loin longer.
• If you want, you can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. I prefer pork cooked so it's still a little pink at the center. You can expect a reading before the final resting of about 135°F. If you like your pork more thoroughly cooked, cook it until the internal temperature reaches 150°F.

SAGE ROASTED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160 C (320F). Arrange the garlic over the base of a baking dish. Rub olive oil all over pork and salt the skin. Place skin side down on the garlic cloves and cook for 3 hours. Increase the temperature to 180 C (355 F). Turn the pork over, add the sage between the garlic and the pork and cook for a further 30 minutes until skin is crunchy.
• (We sometimes remove the skin and continue roasting whilst plating up the rest, just to make sure it's crispy).

ROAST LOIN OF PORK WITH SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop the garlic and half the sage and insert it in the center of the pork. Squeeze a half lemon over the pork and season the meat with salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole or Dutch oven just large enough to hold the loin. Brown the loin on all sides and drain off the fat.
• Arrange the onion over the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with remaining sage leaves and thyme sprigs. Put the loin on top and add the chicken stock and wine. Cover and cook for an hour. Uncover, turn the oven up to 375 degrees, and let the meat brown for 20 to 30 minutes. Test to see if the meat is done. (It is cooked when an internal temperature of 155 degrees on a meat thermometer is registered.)
• Remove the pork loin to a serving dish and keep it warm. (You can put it back in the oven, leaving the door ajar.) Skim the fat from the cooking juices and reduce them until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in a warmed sauce boat. Decorate the pork with sprigs of sage and thyme and serve.

ROAST PORK WITH SAGE AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425*. Mix together the garlic, sage, salt and pepper. Put the potatoes in a roasting pan that is also large enough to hold the pork, and toss them with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and about 1 teaspoon of the garlic-sage mixture. Place the roasting pan in the oven while you prepare the pork.
• Using a thin-bladed knife and your fingers, make slits all over the pork and insert most of the remaining garlic-sage mixture. Spread the rest of it all over the outside of the roast, and nestle it among the potatoes. Pour a little more olive oil over the meat and place it in the oven.
• Roast, undisturbed, for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven, stir the potatoes (you will probably have to scrape some of them off the bottom of the pan), and bast the pork with a little of the pan juices. Lower the heat to 325*F and continue to cook, stirring the potatoes every 15 minutes or so. After 1-1/4 hours or so total cooking time, begin to check the meat (it's likely to take longer, but it's worth the checking); when an instant-read thermometer registers 145* to 150*, remove the meat to a warm platter.
• While the meat rests for 10-15 minutes, turn the oven heat up to 450* to make sure the potatoes are done and crisp (use your judgement; you can simply run them under the broiler if they just need a bit of browning, or keep the oven at 325* if they're perfectly done). Carve the meat and serve with the potatoes.

ROAST PORK WITH SAGE LEAVES AND VINEGAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a heavy dutch oven or enameled casserole just large enough for the pork, brown the meat in the oil on all sides. Remove it from the casserole and season it with salt and pepper.
• Add the vinegar, scraping up the cooking juices, and the sage, reserving a few leaves to go on top of the pork. Return the pork to the casserole and sprinkle the remaining leaves on top of it. Cover and bake, basting from time to time, for about two and a half hours, or until the temperature on a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees, which is high enough to kill any trichinosis bacteria. Do not overcook the pork or it will be dry and tough.
• Let the pork cool in its cooking juices. Put the meat on a platter and pour the juices into a small container and put it in a freezer. When the fat on top has congealed, lift it off. The juices can now be heated up as a gravy or swirled into the plum sauce. To serve the pork, slice it thin and arrange it on a serving platter. Decorate it with sprigs of sage and slices of lemon.