Slow Roasted Pork Belly Chicory Recipes

SLOW-ROASTED CRISPY PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Dry skin overnight: Place pork belly on a plate. Pat skin dry with paper towels. Leave uncovered in fridge overnight to dry out the skin. (If you don't have time, pat the skin dry as best you can).
• Preheat oven to 140°C/285°F (120°C fan).
• Season flesh: Drizzle flesh (only) with 1 tsp oil. Sprinkle over 1/2 tsp salt, the pepper and fennel powder. Rub all over the flesh, including on the sides, being sure you get right into all the cracks and crevices.
• Wrap in foil: Place 2 pieces of foil on a work surface. Put the belly in middle of foil, skin side up. Fold the sides in to enclose the belly, forming an open box, pinching corners to seal tightly and make it as snug as possible. Place meat on a tray.
• Season skin: Pat skin dry with paper towels. Rub with 1/2 tsp oil then sprinkle remaining 1/2 tsp salt evenly all over the skin surface, from edge to edge.
• Slow roast 2 1/2 hours: Place in the oven and roast for 2 1/2 hours. After 1 1/2 hours, remove and tighten the foil (pork will have shrunk), and continue cooking. This keeps the pork fat level up as high as possible, and the flesh protected so it stays moist.
• Increase heat: Remove pork from oven, then increase heat to 240°C/465°F (all oven types).
• Level pork: Remove pork from foil and place on a rack set over a tray (using rack is best, but optional). Use scrunched up balls of foil stuffed under pork to prop up so the skin surface is as level and horizontal as possible (see photos in post).
• 30 minutes on high heat! Place the pork back in the oven for 30 minutes, rotating after 15 minutes as needed, until the crackling is deep golden, puffy and crispy all over. If some patches are browning faster, protect with foil patches.
• Rest 10 minutes: Remove pork from oven. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Serving: Slice into 2cm / ⅘"-thick slices using a serrated knife. Pictured in post with Apple Sauce and Vermouth Jus, with a side of Cauliflower Puree (Note 2)! See directions in post for how to plate it up as pictured (fine dining style!), as well as a list of more sauce options.

ROASTED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Combine paprika, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, and cayenne pepper in a bowl; rub onto the non-fat side of pork belly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove plastic wrap from pork belly and place pork belly, fat-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Make shallow cuts into the fat of the pork belly in a checkered pattern. Rub lemon juice into the fat.
• Roast in the preheated oven until fat begins to brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue cooking until fat is crispy, about 1 hour more. Remove from oven and let rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

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.

SLOW-ROASTED PORK BELLY & CHICORY

Steps:

• Heat oven to its highest temperature. Lay the pork on a board, skin-side up. Rub the skin with a little oil, then season with crushed pepper and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt.
• Lay the pork in shallow roasting tin, skin-side up (the skin should be higher than the edge of the tin). Place the pork in the oven and cook for 30 mins, then turn the oven down to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and roast for 1 hr more until the skin has crackled.
• Meanwhile, halve the chicory lengthways. When the pork has had its time, remove from the oven and use a pair of tongs to lift it to a chopping board. Pour off excess fat. Lay the chicory in the tray, cut-side up. Scatter over the garlic, tuck the thyme around the chicory and pour over the cider. Drizzle with olive oil, blob on the mustard and sprinkle with sugar. Lay the pork on top and return to the oven for 2 hrs more.
• Lift the pork off the chicory and transfer it to a board. Cover and rest for 20 mins. Carve into thick slices and serve with the chicory and the delicious juices spooned over.

SLOW-COOKED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients (apart from the pork) in either a food processor or a pestle and mortar, then rub them well into the skin of the pork belly . Leave it somewhere cool to marinate for as long as you can bear (between 1 hour and 2 days).
• Preheat your oven to 110C/fan 90C/gas 1/4 or as low as it will go. Roast the pork for 3 hours. Check to make sure it's not pink. If it is, give it a bit longer.
• Lastly, for your Maillard reaction, whack the oven up to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9 or as high as it will go and roast for 10-15 minutes or until crisp.
• Let the belly rest but not for more than 10 minutes and serve.