Prepare the Pork Belly

What happens here

Begin by obtaining a slab of pork belly. The video shows a large, skin-on pork belly. Carefully trim any uneven edges or excessively thick fat pockets to create a more uniform shape. Next, score the skin side of the pork belly. This involves making shallow cuts, typically in a crosshatch pattern, that penetrate just through the skin layer but not into the meat. This scoring helps the cure penetrate more effectively and also helps the skin crisp up later during cooking.

Goal: Trim and score the pork belly for optimal curing and cooking.