Combine Herbes de Provence (a mix including rosemary, thyme, and oregano), cumin, salt, sugar, and pepper in a bowl and mix together.

Rub the spice mixture into the pork belly.

Put the meat in a bag (e.g., a vacuum bag) and ensure it is well-sealed. A lot of liquid will be released during the curing process, so be careful.

Keep the meat in the refrigerator for a day. Whether it’s 20-26 hours is not crucial.

Remove the meat from the bag and rinse under cold water to stop the curing process. Dry it well with a clean kitchen towel.

Place the pork belly in a vacuum bag along with the duck fat.

Vacuum seal the bag and place it in your water bath at 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit).

Let the pork belly cook for 12 hours.

Remove the meat from the water and open the bag.

Let the meat cool under pressure. Place all the contents from the bag into a suitably sized dish or container. I only made 600 grams of pork belly, so a loaf pan was suitable for me. I placed another loaf pan with two wine bottles on top of the meat to create good pressure. Now, I know it’s a bit unusual to prepare only 600 grams at a time, so you’ll probably have a larger piece of meat. In that case, you can, for example, place the meat in a dish and lay a cutting board with something heavy on top of the meat.

Once the meat is cooled, cut it into squares. Since my pork belly was so small, I only divided it into 2.

Optionally, score the rind with a knife.

Use some of the leftover duck fat to heat in a pan over medium-high heat (setting 10 out of 14 on my stove). You can also use ghee or a combination of oil and butter if you don’t want to use the duck fat for frying.

Place the pork belly in the hot pan with the rind down and let it fry until the rind is crispy, while heating the meat through. It took about 15 minutes for mine.

Serve.