1. Cure the pork:
   Place the pork belly on a tray, skin side down. Rub the flesh with salt, sugar, pepper, crushed garlic, thyme, bay, and juniper. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours).
2. Rinse and dry:
   Rinse off the cure under cold water, pat dry thoroughly, and leave to air dry for an hour.
3. Slow-cook in fat:
   Preheat the oven to 120 °C fan (130 °C conventional).
   Place the pork belly in a deep, ovenproof dish. Warm the fat until liquid, then pour it over the meat until fully submerged.
   Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 3–4 hours, until tender but not falling apart.
4. Press overnight:
   Lift the pork carefully from the fat (keep the fat — it can be reused). Place it skin-side down between sheets of parchment in a tray, put another tray on top, and weigh it down. Chill overnight to compress.
5. Portion and crisp:
   Cut the cold confit into neat squares or rectangles. Fry skin-side down in a dry non-stick pan or under the grill at 220 °C fan until golden and crisp.

Multi-Cooker Option (Ninja Foodi MAX)

• Use the Bake/Roast mode at 120 °C for 3½ hours, ensuring the pork is covered in melted fat or oil.
• Once cooked, chill and press overnight as above.
• To finish, use the Air Crisp mode at 200 °C for 10–12 minutes until the skin crackles.
• Internal temperature target: 90–92 °C for tender, sliceable meat.