Slow-cooked, Wadadli-spiced Cubano pork belly Recipe

In a food processor or with a hand blender, blitz all the marinade ingredients until smooth. Place the pork belly in a large dish, pour the marinade over it, and turn the meat to coat every surface. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat your oven to 140°C (120°C fan)/275°F/gas 1. Lift the pork belly from its marinade, letting any excess drip back into the dish, then transfer it to a large roasting dish. Cover the dish tightly with foil and roast for four and a half hours. Every 90 minutes, pull the dish out, lift the foil, and spoon the accumulated juices over the meat before returning it to the oven.

Once the slow roasting time is up, remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 180°C (160°C fan)/350°F/gas 4. Continue roasting for another 15–20 minutes, until the top is deeply colored and the meat is tender enough to cut with a spoon.

If you're making crackling, preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/390°F/gas 6 and line a roasting tray with baking paper. Lightly score the pork belly skin with a sharp knife, then rub it with three or four generous pinches of salt. (You can also add a few caraway, cumin, or fennel seeds here if you like.) Cut the skin into long strips and arrange them fat-side down on the lined tray. Cover the strips with a second sheet of baking paper, then place another baking tray of the same size on top to press them flat. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the crackling is shatteringly crisp.

Cut or pull the tender pork apart. Top it with finely chopped coriander and flat-leaf parsley, along with the crisp crackling shards if you made them, and serve immediately.