Christmas Pork Belly

Method

1. Combine Sugar, syrup, soy sauce, water, cranberry juice, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic, star anise and cinnamon sticks. Place in a heavy-based oven roasting pan that will fit the roast snugly.
2. Preheat oven to 220˚C.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut pork rind into a criss cross pattern at 1cm intervals.
4. Rub pork rind with vegetable oil and then rub in the salt. Place pork belly into the prepared mixture (ensuring that the pork rind is not covered).
5. Roast for 40 minutes or until rind is golden and crisp. Add 1 cup of water to the cooking liquid. Roast for a further 30-35 minutes or even longer until pork is tender and the fat is rendered down.
6. Place pork onto a carving board. Cover loosely with foil and set aside. Pour off any excess fat leaving the cooking juices.
7. Place roasting pan over a medium heat and bring the juices to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until slightly thickened and syrupy. Return pork to the hot syrup.
8. Serve the pork sliced with the syrupy pan juices.