Preheat oven to 250°C.

In a deep roasting pan, place the onion, star anise and approximately 1 cup of water. Place pork belly onto a wire rack which fits into the roasting pan and place over onion and star anise mixture. Cook for 30 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C and slow cook for 2 hours*. Remove from oven. Do not baste the pork during cooking.

Add the brown sugar, red wine vinegar, cinnamon and orange juice into the baking dish and place into oven at 160°C and cook for 1 hour.**During the last 10 minutes, increase temperature to 220°C and place pork near the top of the oven, so that the skin browns and crisps. Do not allow to burn.

*Keep an eye out for the pan juices, adding water to the pan as needed. This makes the pork juicy and the star anise permeates into the pork meat. Serve with the cooked onions, potatoes and pumpkin. Alternatively you could serve it with some steamed rice or a crisp salad.