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Danish roast pork with a rack of crackling scored into diamonds that shatters when you cut it, served with braised red cabbage. The oven does almost all the work.
Pat the 1.8 kg pork belly completely dry and score the skin in a tight diamond pattern with a very sharp knife, cutting through the fat but not into the meat.
Push a bay leaf into every second score line, then rub the skin all over with the salt, working it into the cuts. Leave uncovered in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight, so the skin dries out.
Heat the oven to 160°C and roast the pork skin side up on a rack over a tray for 90 minutes, until a probe in the thickest part reads 68°C.
Raise the oven to 230°C and roast for a final 20 to 25 minutes, watching closely, until the skin puffs up into deep golden crackling.
While the pork roasts, cook the shredded 600 g cabbage with the diced apples, the vinegar, the sugar, the butter and the allspice in a covered pot over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and glossy.
Rest the pork for 15 minutes, then carve along the score lines into individual crackling-topped slices and serve with the red cabbage.
