For this recipe, you’ll need pork belly with good meat marbling (you can use any type of fat). Start by washing the pork belly, trimming the skin a bit, cutting it into strips, and then studding it with garlic before tying it up with kitchen twine.
Next, take some onion skins and layer a portion at the bottom of a pot. Place the pork belly on top, followed by another layer of onion skins, and continue layering this way. The final layer should be onion skins. Pour in water, add salt, and toss in bay leaves, whole black peppercorns, caraway seeds, coriander, cloves, and ginger. Press down with a plate weighted down to keep the pork belly submerged. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 15 to 30 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fat and how tender or firm you want it to be. Afterward, turn off the heat and let the pork belly sit in the brine for a full day.
After 24 hours, remove the pork belly, pat it dry, and generously rub it with a mixture of salt, black pepper, paprika, coriander, and crushed bay leaves. Then wrap it in clean paper or plastic wrap and stash it in the freezer. It will be ready in a couple of days. It pairs wonderfully with potatoes or on sandwiches. Enjoy your meal!