Slow Roasted Pork Belly With Cider And Apple Sauce And Creamy Mash Recipes

CREAMY PORK AND APPLE CASSEROLE WITH CIDER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170c/325f.
• Add the 2 tbsp of oil to a large casserole pan and heat over a medium-high heat.
• Add the chunks of pork and sprinkle over the 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Brown the pork on both sides - this should take about 5-6 minutes altogether.
• Turn the heat down to medium and add in the diced onion and 12 button mushrooms that have been sliced in half. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens.
• Add in the 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook for a further minute.
• Sprinkle over the 2 tbsps of flour and stir it all in to coat the meat, onion and mushrooms.
• Pour in the 240ml (1 cup) of cider and the 420ml (1 3/4 cups) of chicken stock. Add in the 1/2 tsp of dried sage.
• Turn up the heat and bring to the boil, scraping up any bits that might have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
• Place a lid on the dish and place in the oven for 90 minutes. Check a couple of times towards the end of cooking and add a splash of water or stock if it's starting to look a little dry.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and add in the sliced apples and the 80ml (1/3 cup) of cream.
• Stir together, place the lid back on the dish and place back in the oven for 25 minutes - until the apples are tender.
• Remove from the oven and serve. I like to top mine with a few fresh sage leaves and some very thinly sliced apple for a bit of crunch. I love to serve this dish with mashed potatoes, cabbage and roasted radishes.

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 WITH CIDER AND APPLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250C, or as hot as you can get the oven.
• Score the skin diagonally both ways to create diamond shape grooves with a stanley knife, BE CAREFUL!
• Rub the table salt into the grooves that you have cut into the pork skin.
• Turn the meat over and place fresh sage leaves and three slices of lemon onto the meat, season with the pepper and roll up, tie the pork at intervals with string to ensure it doesn't unroll during cooking.
• Place the pork on a wire rack that fits over an empty roasting tin, and roast for half an hour.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 150C and roast for a further three hours.
• For the cider and apple sauce; put them into a pan with the butter, sugar, water and cider; cover and heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the apples are soft enough to beat to a purée. Keep warm.
• Remove the crackling (skin) and then cover the meat with foil and rest for about 15 minutes.
• Drain the fat from the roasting tin keeping the meat juices in the tin.
• Put the roasting tin with the meat juices in onto the hob and add a small cube of butter (20g) and a splash of cider (optional).
• Slice the pork, remember to remove the string, and serve with the apple sauce and a small drizzle of pan juices.

ROAST SPICED PORK BELLY WITH APPLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix the salt and spices together and rub it all over the pork and let is cure for 3 to 4 hours and then wash the pork belly well and dry with paper towels and place in the fridge uncovered for at least 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 250°C.
• rub the skin of the pork with some oil and salt and then place the pork on a roasting tray skin side up and cook for 15 minutes.
• Lower the temperature of the oven to 150C and cook for 45 to 50 minutes to get great crackling pork belly can be finished under the grill/broiler.
• Remove the pork belly and rest for 15 minutes and then slice pork belly thinly and serve with apple sauce.
• APPLE SAUCE - Place the sugar and vinegar in a medium size saucepan and bring to the boil and then add the apples and cook until tender and then puree and add the lemon juice and set aside to cool.

SLOW-ROAST PORK BELLY WITH CELERIAC & PEAR MASH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Take the pork out of the fridge and pat the skin dry. Put the rosemary leaves, salt and pepper in a mini chopper and grind together (or do this with a mortar and pestle). Rub the rosemary salt all over the pork, making sure it gets into the cuts in the skin. Sit the pork in a large roasting tin, ideally on a rack, and roast for 30 mins.
• Reduce heat to 170C/150 fan/gas 3 and roast for 1½ hrs more. Turn oven back up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and roast for 20-30 mins to crisp. Leave to rest on a board for 10 mins before carving.
• When the pork is nearly ready to come out, put the celeriac and potato in a large pan of water, bring to the boil and cook for 10 mins until just tender. Add the pears and cook for 2 mins more. Drain well, then mash until smooth - a mouli or potato ricer does this job best. Beat in a splash of cream and some butter, and serve with the pork and broccoli.