Pork belly slowly braised in dry cider and stock, pressed overnight, then pan-fried until crisp and served with the reduced cider sauce.
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Ingredients
- 700 g pork belly seasoned well in advance
- 1 l dry cider
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- thyme a few sprigs
- 1 carrot roughly chopped, unpeeled
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic smashed but kept whole
- black peppercorns a few
- 1 star anise
- vegetable oil a little, for frying
- salt to taste
- mashed potato to serve
- cabbage to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 160°C. Choose a roasting tin that fits the pork belly snugly.
- Pour in the cider and stock and add the bay, thyme, carrot, onion, garlic, peppercorns and star anise. Bring to a simmer on the hob.
- If you haven't seasoned the pork in advance, season it now. Slide it into the cider so it's completely submerged and bring back to a simmer.
- Cover with a lid or loosely with foil and cook in the oven, undisturbed, for 3 hours.
- Leave to cool a little, then carefully lift the pork onto a tray lined with baking paper. Cover with another sheet of paper and a second tin, weigh it down and leave to cool, then chill overnight (at least 12–15 hours).
- Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan and reduce it right down to a sauce. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Trim the pressed pork into neat pieces, cutting off any curved edges of skin so it all browns evenly. Wrap any you're not cooking today for another dish.
- Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook the pork skin-side down until the skin is crisp, then turn and cook until heated right through.
- Serve on mashed potato with a little cabbage, and the cider sauce on the side.
Notes
Start the day before – the pork needs to be pressed overnight. The trimmings and any extra pieces are lovely in a chorizo and butter bean stew.
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