Slow Roasted Pork Belly With Cider And Apple Sauce And Creamy Mash Recipes

SLOW-ROAST BELLY OF PORK

Steps:

• If you have the pork bones, roast them until browned, then transfer to a pan and cover with 1 litre chicken stock. Gently simmer for 1 hr, skimming off any scum that comes to the surface (you will need about 500ml for the gravy). If you don't have pork bones, don't worry about this stage.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the pork on a wire rack in a roasting tray, skin side up, and cook for 1½ hrs. increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for a further 15-20 mins to crisp the skin. Remove the pork from the tin and allow to rest for 45 mins.
• To make the gravy, remove all the fat from the bottom of the roasting tin. Add the butter and heat to melt. Tip in the flour and cook for 1-2 mins, scraping the bottom of the pan. Gradually stir in 500ml stock and cook for 5 mins until thick.

PERFECT PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Leave the pork uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out the skin.
• Preheat the oven to full whack (240°C/475°F/gas 9).
• Carefully score the pork skin with a sharp knife or scalpel.
• Place the bay leaves in a pestle and mortar with the sea salt and give it a good bashing. Add the coriander seeds, fennel seeds and peppercorns, then bash again until fine.
• Rub 2 tablespoons of the flavoured salt all over the pork, massaging it into all the nooks and crannies, saving the rest for another day. Brush away any excess.
• Clank up the onions into wedges and arrange them skin-side up in rows. Lay the pork directly over the onions, then roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the crackling is golden and super crunchy.
• Meanwhile, prepare the veg. Scrub the carrots and potatoes, trim the celery and fennel, then clank up into 2½cm chunks and place on a large baking tray. Pick over the rosemary leaves, then break up the garlic bulb and scatter over the cloves, leaving the skin on. Season with salt and pepper, then give it a good mix.
• Remove the pork from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150°C/300°F/gas 2.
• Using tongs, carefully lift the pork off the onions and place it directly on the top bars of the oven. Position the tray of veg exactly underneath to catch the tasty juices. Cook the pork for a further 2 to 4 hours - after 2 hours, the meat will be soft and easy to carve, after 4 hours, the meat will be soft enough to 'pull'. Toss the veg occasionally, turning to coat in the pork juices until caramelised and cooked to your liking, then remove. (Pop an empty tray under the pork to prevent the juices from making a mess in your oven.)
• To make the gravy, carefully drain the fat from the onions and reserve for another day. Place the tray on the hob over a medium heat, then pour in the cider and let it bubble away for a few minutes, scraping up all the sticky goodness from the base of the tray.
• Gradually stir in the flour, then pour in 1.5 litres of boiling water and stir on the heat for 15 minutes, or until thickened and reduced.
• When it's time to dish up, arrange the veg on a serving platter with the pork and strain the gravy into a jug. Carve or pull the pork and plate it up with a little bit of everything. Delicious served with a simple watercress and apple salad, and a dollop of English mustard.

CRISPY PORK BELLY SLICES WITH CIDER

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 160°c
• Score the skin of the belly in a cross cross pattern (or get your butcher to do this for you, you need a super sharp knife), then pour boiling water over the top of the skin, this helps to open up the top layer so you can get the flavour in. Rub in a few pinches of salt and pepper into the skin. Pop into the oven in a small, lightly oiled, roasting tin for 2 hours (grab a glass of wine).
• After 2 hours, take the belly out. Keeping it in the tin, pop a smaller roasting tray (or anything flat) on top and weigh down with some cans/bag of sugar/something heavy and pop in the fridge.
• Mix the cider, honey, soy sauce sauce, oyster sauce, chilli and sugar together in a bowl, slowly add the flour.
• After one hour, take the belly out of the fridge, cut into slices, and pour over half of the dressing. Make sure all the sides are covered. Pop back in the fridge.
• After one more hour, pour the rest of the dressing over and pop in the oven for 30mins (still at 160°c).
• Once the belly is ready, heat a glut of oil in a frying pan and pop each slice of belly, skin side down and fry for a couple of minutes to get the skin super crispy.
• Let the pork belly rest before serving

SLOW-ROASTED PORK BELLY WITH CIDER AND APPLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250C, or as hot as you can get the oven.
• Score the skin diagonally both ways to create diamond shape grooves with a stanley knife, BE CAREFUL!
• Rub the table salt into the grooves that you have cut into the pork skin.
• Turn the meat over and place fresh sage leaves and three slices of lemon onto the meat, season with the pepper and roll up, tie the pork at intervals with string to ensure it doesn't unroll during cooking.
• Place the pork on a wire rack that fits over an empty roasting tin, and roast for half an hour.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 150C and roast for a further three hours.
• For the cider and apple sauce; put them into a pan with the butter, sugar, water and cider; cover and heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the apples are soft enough to beat to a purée. Keep warm.
• Remove the crackling (skin) and then cover the meat with foil and rest for about 15 minutes.
• Drain the fat from the roasting tin keeping the meat juices in the tin.
• Put the roasting tin with the meat juices in onto the hob and add a small cube of butter (20g) and a splash of cider (optional).
• Slice the pork, remember to remove the string, and serve with the apple sauce and a small drizzle of pan juices.

SLOW-ROASTED PORK BELLY WITH CIDER AND APPLE SAUCE AND CREAMY MASH

Steps:

• 1. For the slow-roasted pork belly, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. 2. Rub the sage leaves and lemon zest all over the pork. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. 3. Place the pork skin-side up on a wire rack that fits over an empty roasting tin, and roast for one hour. 4. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and roast for a further two hours. 5. For the cider and apple sauce, heat the apples, butter, water and cider in a coveredl saucepan for 4-5 minutes, or until the apples are soft enough to beat to a purée. Stir in soft dark brown sugar to taste. Keep warm. 6. For the creamy mash, cook the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 10-15 minutes, or until tender. 7. Drain the potatoes, then return to the pan and gently warm to remove any excess moisture. Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes with the butter and cream until smooth. 8. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside and keep warm. 9. Slice the pork and serve with the mash and apple sauce.