The crunchiest of all the Sunday roasts...
4 hours
Serves 4
Ingredients
Pork Belly 1.25kg
Lemon ½
Ginger 10cm
Garlic 4 cloves
Lemongrass 2 sticks
Rosemary 6 sprigs
White wine 400ml
Apple juice 400ml
Brown sugar 1tbsp
Juniper berries 10
Coarse Sea Salt 40g
Jam
Rhubarb 400g
Apple 200g
Cider Vinegar 50ml
Sugar 250g
Cinnamon stick 2
Star Anise 2
Nutmeg (grated) 1 tsp
Lemon (juice of) ½
Method
To make the accompanying jam, add roughly chopped apple and rhubarb to a heavy based pan, along with the vinegar, cinnamon, star anise and grated nutmeg. Cover with a lid and cook until the fruit is slightly softened. Add the sugar to the mixture and stir to dissolve. Continue cooking for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. To test whether it is done, put a small spoonful on a plate and leave in the fridge for 1 minute. If done, the jam should crinkle when you run your finger through it. If it doesn’t, continue cooking for a bit longer and redo the test. Bottle the jam and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 220⁰C
Score the pork skin with long cuts a fingers width apart.
To a baking tray, add the peeled and roughly chopped ginger, chopped lemon grass, rosemary sprigs and smashed garlic (the skin can be left on).
Season the underside of the pork belly, and lay it skin side up on top of the ingredients.
Use kitchen roll to dry the skin, and then rub it with half a lemon, squeezing the juice as you go. Leave it to sit for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle half of the salt over the skin of the pork belly, then put in the oven and cook for 1 hour.
Remove the pork belly from the oven and scrape off all the salt. Pour on the remaining salt and place back in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the pork belly from the oven and reduce the temperature to 170⁰C. Pour the white wine and apple juice around the edge of the pork, being careful not to dampen the skin. Add the brown sugar and juniper berries to the liquid and put it back in the oven for another hour.
Finally reduce the temperature to 120⁰C for one final hour, before removing and resting for 20 minutes.
Slice into strips and serve with the spiced apple and rhubarb jam.
Eat and enjoy!
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