Roast pork in Apicius’s Roman sauce

Ingredients

• 4 portions of pork belly (or 12 pork ribs)
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• A pinch of asa foetida (also known as asa-foetida)
• 300 ml of pork stock (or another clear stock)
• 1 tablespoon of garum (or fermented fish sauce)
• 2 tablespoons of corn flour (or wheat starch)
• 2 tablespoons of water

Preheat the oven.

Arrange the pork slices, ribs, or shanks on a roasting rack.

Place in the oven and roast for approximately 35 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the belly skin is crispy.

While you’re doing that, place the pepper, asafoetida, stockfish, and garum in a saucepan, then mix well.

Bring to a boil.

Mix the corn flour with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry.

Add this puree to the sauce, reduce the heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.

Once the sauce is ready, place the roasted pork on a serving dish and pour the sauce over it.

Serve immediately.