PORK RECIPES

SLOW ROASTED PORK BELLY

INGREDIENTS

  • 1kg pork belly
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and roughly sliced
  • 4 fresh bay leaves
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
  • 1 tsp cardamom pods, bashed
  • 4 star anise
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • Olive oil
  • 325ml white wine
  • 500–750ml chicken stock (depending on the size of your pan)
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

METHOD

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

Score the pork belly skin diagonally in a diamond pattern at 1½ cm intervals. Season generously with salt and pepper, rubbing it well into the skin.

Put the fennel, bay leaves, garlic, cardamom, star anise and half the fennel seeds into a hot roasting tray on the hob with a little oil and heat for about 2 minutes until aromatic. Push to the side of the tray, then add the pork, skin side down, and cook for at least 5 minutes until turning golden brown. Turn the pork over, season the skin again with salt and sprinkle with the remaining fennel seeds. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits from the bottom (be careful not to get the skin of the pork wet). Bring to the boil, then pour in enough stock to come up to the layer of fat just below the skin and allow to boil again.

Transfer the tray to the preheated oven and cook for 2½ hours.

Transfer the meat to a warm plate and set aside to rest. Meanwhile, spoon off any excess fat in the roasting tray or drag a slice of bread along the surface of the cooking juices to absorb it. Heat the tray on the hob, adding the mustard. Mix in with a whisk, then taste and adjust the flavours as necessary. Remove the star anise and cardamom pods and pour the sauce into a jug. Serve the rested pork with the sauce alongside.

HONEY GLAZED HAM

INGREDIENTS

  • 1kg pork belly
  • 3kg unsmoked boneless gammon joint
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 leek, cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
  • 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
  • 3 bay leaves handful of cloves

For the honey glaze

  • 100g demerara sugar
  • 50ml Madeira
  • 25ml sherry vinegar
  • 125g honey

METHOD

Serves 8-10

Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3.

Heat a deep-sided roasting tray on the hob and add a glug of olive oil. Season the short ribs thoroughly, then fry for 10–15 minutes to brown really well on all sides.

Add the halved garlic head, cut side down, pushing it to the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato purée and heat for a minute or two to cook it out. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits at the bottom. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–15 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half, then add stock to nearly cover the ribs (you’ll need less stock if your roasting tray isn’t very large). Bring to the boil again, basting the ribs with the juices.

Cover the roasting tray with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 3–4 hours, basting now and then until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone.

About 10 minutes before the short ribs are ready to come out, fry the pancetta for 2–3 minutes until crisp and golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4–5 minutes until tender. Drain off any excess fat.

When the short ribs are ready, remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and pass through a sieve. Spoon off any excess fat from the beef cooking liquid, then strain it through the sieve and mix with the garlic. (If the sauce is too thin, reduce the cooking liquid by heating for 10–15 minutes more after straining.)

Serve the short ribs topped with the hot pancetta and mushrooms and the sauce poured around. Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley.