I am happy to cook with fat but don’t ask me to eat it. Our family is a case of “Jack Sprat”, there are some of us who will eat and some that won’t.
Having always been squeamish about eating fat, this dish has become one of my favourites. It takes some effort but can all be prepared ahead and looks and tastes beautiful.
Pressing the belly gives the consistency of the sort of fat you get that surrounds a piece of ham. You need to start this recipe the day before. It freezes well and a little goes a long way. We have it with a cider reduction from the cooking juices as outlined in this recipe or I’ll make a butterbean and chorizo stew and top it with a slab of this pork
I would always suggest you support and buy from your local butcher but I know that isn’t always possible. If you want to buy from a supermarket, buy a rolled belly pork joint from the supermarket and unroll it.
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, kept whole and smashed
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1 ltr dry cider
1 ltr chicken stock
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 kg boneless pork belly (a rolled joint unrolled)
Pre heat the oven to 160C fan
On the stove top place a large deep roasting tin that will fit the pork snuggly, place all the ingredients apart from the pork into the pan. Bring everything to the boil and then slide the pork in. It should be submerged, if it isn’t, top up with water. Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven for 3 hours.
When the pork is cooked. Remove the foil and allow to cool a little. Line a baking tray with parchment. Carefully lift out the pork and place on the parchment in the tray. Remove any bits of vegetables that may be sticking to the meat. Cover the pork with another sheet of parchment and then another tray. Place weights on the top tray. You can use cans or I use a couple of bricks wrapped in foil. Allow to cool to room temperature then put in the fridge overnight.
Strain the cooking juices through a fine mesh sieve into a large jug. Discard the vegetables and chill the juices overnight.
When you’re ready to cook, pour the juices into a pan and bubble hard until reduced to a syrupy consistency, this can take up to an hour depending on how much liquid you have.
Remove the pork from the baking tray. Trim the edges and cut into 10 bars. (At this point you can freeze the bars.)
Put a splash of vegetable oil into a frying pan, add the pork fat side down to the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes then flip over and cook the bottom for a further 5 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
Serve with the cider reduction. Delicious with mustard cabbage
Ideal with:
Pressed cider braised pork belly
Ingredients
- 1 carrot roughly chopped
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic kept whole and smashed
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ltr dry cider
- 1 ltr chicken stock
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 kg pork belly, boneless
Instructions
The day before
- Pre heat the oven to 160C fan
- On the stove top place a large deep roasting tin that will fit the pork snuggly, place all the ingredients apart from the pork into the pan. Bring everything to the boil and then slide the pork in. It should be submerged, if it isn't, top up with water. Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven for 3 hours.
- When the pork is cooked. Remove the foil and allow to cool a little. Line a baking tray with parchment. Carefully lift out the pork and place on the parchment in the tray. Remove any bits of vegetables that may be sticking to the meat. Cover the pork with another sheet of parchment and then another tray. Place weights on the top tray. You can use cans or I use a couple of bricks wrapped in foil. Allow to cool to room temperature then put in the fridge overnight.
- Strain the cooking juices through a fine mesh sieve into a large jug. Discard the vegetables and chill the juices overnight.
On the day
- When you're ready to cook, pour the juices into a pan and bubble hard until reduced to a syrupy consistency, this can take up to an hour depending on how much liquid you have.
- Remove the pork from the baking tray. Trim the edges and cut into 10 bars. (At this point you can freeze the bars.)
- Put a splash of vegetable oil into a frying pan, add the pork fat side down to the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes then flip over and cook the bottom for a further 5 minutes. Don't overcrowd the pan. Serve with the cider reduction. Delicious with mustard cabbage
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