Slow Braised Pork Belly With Wilted Greens Olives Capers And Feta Polenta Recipes

SLOW-BRAISED PORK BELLY WITH WILTED GREENS, OLIVES, CAPERS AND FETA POLENTA

Steps:

• Remove the skin from the pork belly, cut the meat into four equal pieces and season each with salt. Heat a little olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the pork and cook over a high heat until browned on all sides. Add the wine and deglaze the pan by scraping the cooked on juices from the bottom of the pan. Take the pork out of the pan and set aside on a plate.
• In a clean large heavy-based saucepan add the onion, leek, fennel, garlic and anchovies to the pan and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion and leeks are tender. Add the pork to this pan, and add the wine from the deglazed pan. Heat until reduced in volume by half.
• Add the chicken stock (this should be about 2cm/1in short of covering the pork), then bring to the boil cover and simmer for 1½ hours.
• Add the greens, broccoli, capers and olives and stir to combine the leaves with the cooking liquor. Cover and simmer for a further 30 minutes, by which time the pork should be tender and the greens and broccoli wilted. If necessary, continue to cook the pork, covered, until the meat is tender (the time taken will depend on the thickness of the belly). If you want to serve the pork with butter beans or black-eyed peas, add them now. Remove the pork and leave it to rest in a warm place before serving.
• Add the lemon juice and season the greens to taste. Stir in the parsley.
• For the feta polenta, heat the milk, bay leaf, garlic and 300ml/10½fl oz of water in a saucepan until almost boiling. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for about 20 minutes.
• Skim off any skin from the milk and remove the bay leaf and garlic. Reheat until simmering, then add the polenta in a thin, steady stream, whisking continuously. Whisk until thick (2-3 minutes), then remove from the heat and stir in the butter and feta. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
• Serve the pork belly and vegetables in a shallow bowl with the feta polenta next to it, drizzled with olive oil.

BRAISED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, carefully place one piece of pork in the saute pan and sear, turning once, until golden. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces of pork. Set aside.
• Carefully add the beer to the drippings in the pan and cook, scraping up the cooked bits with a wooden spoon, until reduced.
• Heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil in a large flame-proof roasting pan over medium heat. Add the celery, onions, carrots, garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the pork to the roasting pan. Add the deglazed pan juices and enough chicken stock to cover the pork and vegetables. Add the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves and 2 generous pinches of salt. Cover the pan with foil and braise for 3 hours. Remove the foil and roast 30 minutes more. This will allow the pork to gain a beautiful color and for the braising liquid to reduce.
• Let the pork cool in the braising liquid for 30 minutes to increase tenderness. Remove the pork from the roasting pan and strain the braising liquid. Refrigerate separately until ready to use. The pork can be served sliced or shredded.

CRISP CIDER-BRAISED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Day 1: Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Place all the ingredients except the pork and sunflower oil in a flameproof pan that will fit the pork snugly - a casserole dish is ideal. Season, bring everything to the boil then turn down the heat and slide the pork into the pan. The pork should be totally submerged - if it isn't, top up with water. Cover the dish with a lid or tight tent of foil and place it in the oven for 3 hrs undisturbed.
• When the pork is cooked, leave it to cool slightly in the stock. Line a flat baking tray with cling film. Carefully lift the pork into the tray and make sure you get rid of any bits of vegetables or herbs as they will end up pressed into the pork. Cover the pork with another sheet of cling film and cover with a flat tray or dish - the tray must be completely flat as any indentations will be pressed into the pork. Weigh the pork down with another dish or some cans and leave to cool in the fridge overnight. Strain the juices into a jug or small saucepan, cover and chill.
• Day 2: Unwrap the pork and place on a board. Trim the uneven edges so that you have a neat sheet of meat. Cut the meat into 4 equal pieces and set aside until ready to cook. Lift off any bits of fat from the braising juices and tip what will now be jelly into a saucepan, then bubble down by about two-thirds until starting to become slightly syrupy. Add a few more drops of vinegar, to taste.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot, then turn the heat down. Add the pork to the pan, skin-side down - be careful as it has a tendency to spit. Sizzle the pork as you would bacon for 5 mins until the skin is crisp. Flip it over and cook for 3-4 mins until browned. Place a small pile of cabbage on the side of each plate and sit a piece of pork on top. Place a spoonful of mash on the other side of the plate, drizzle over the sauce and serve.

BRAISED PORK ROAST WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• Place oil over medium-high heat in a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven or stovetop casserole. Add pork and sear on all sides until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove meat.
• Add garlic and onions; sauté over medium-low heat until soft. Add bay leaves; deglaze pan with vinegar. Add port and stock. Season meat with salt and pepper; return to pot.
• Place over very low heat and cook, basting occasionally, 40 to 45 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 140 degrees. Add a little more stock if liquid cooks down too fast. Remove meat to a platter to rest 15 to 20 minutes; temperature will rise to 150 to 155 degrees.
• Reheat sauce and add olives and parsley. Adjust seasoning as needed.
• Slice meat and cut ribs apart. Arrange all on a platter, spoon sauce over and serve.