Pat the pork belly completely dry. Lightly salt the skin (a thin, even dusting, not a crust).

Place it on a rack with the skin facing up, and leave it uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours.

After that, brush or wipe off any excess salt from the skin (do not rinse).

Weigh the belly and season only the meat side and edges with 1.6–1.7% salt based on total weight, keeping the skin clean. Vacuum-seal the belly and cook sous-vide at 68°C for 16 hours.

Once done, chill it down in a blast chiller; if you don’t have one, cool it down quickly and then refrigerate.

Remove the belly from the bag, pat it dry, place it on a tray, set a second tray on top, weight it down, and press it in the fridge for 8–12 hours.

When it’s fully cold, scald the skin by pouring hot water evenly over it for a brief moment, then immediately dry it completely.

Now portion the belly while it’s still cold for the cleanest cuts. After portioning, slide a thin sharp knife just under the skin and work it flat along the fat layer so the skin loosens and separates from the fat layer without fully removing it, then dry the skin again thoroughly.

Place the portions on a rack with the skin facing up and leave them uncovered in the fridge for 24–48 hours to dry.

For service, fry in two stages: first fry at 170°C to set the skin and start rendering, then drain on a rack; increase the oil to 190°C and fry briefly again until the skin blisters and turns hard-crisp, drain, lightly salt immediately, and serve.