Name: Crisp cider-braised pork belly
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 12 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 large carrot roughly chopped; 1 onion roughly chopped; few celery sticks, roughly chopped; 2 garlic cloves smashed; sprig fresh thyme; 2 bay leaves; 500ml good-quality cider; small splash cider vinegar plus extra to season; 1l fresh chicken stock; 1.2kg piece unscored boneless pork belly; 2 tbsp sunflower oil; apple mash and Mustard cabbage, to serve (see tip)

Home
Recipes
Crisp cider-braised pork belly

Crisp cider-braised pork belly

Barney Desmazery

Save recipe

Serves 4

More effort

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 3 hrs and 30 mins

Plus pressing overnight

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.12 ratingsRate

loading...

Barney Desmazery's prepare-ahead recipe for the perfect pork belly will be a sure-fire hit at your next dinner party

Freezable

Skip to ingredients

Alternatives

Complete the dish

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

1 large carrot

roughly chopped
1 onion

roughly chopped
few celery

sticks, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves

smashed
sprig fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
500ml good-quality cider
small splash cider vinegar

plus extra to season
1l fresh chicken stock
1.2kg piece unscored boneless pork belly
2 tbsp sunflower oil
apple

mash and Mustard cabbage, to serve (see tip)

Keep the screen awake with cook mode on the Good Food app.

Nutrition: per serving

kcal915
fat67g
saturates24g
carbs10g
sugars8g
fibre2g
protein66g
salt1.22g

low

Method

step 1

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.
step 2

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.
step 3

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.
step 4

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.

RECIPE TIPS

APPLE MASH

Bring 2 large, peeled and chopped baking potatoes to the boil and simmer for 10 mins. Add 1 large peeled, cored and chopped Bramley apple and simmer for 5 mins. Drain and return to the pan through a potato ricer, or mash. Over a low heat, beat in 100ml/3½fl oz double cream and a knob of butter. Season and serve.

MUSTARD CABBAGE

Quarter, core and finely shred 1 small Savoy cabbage. Cook in boiling water for 3 mins, then drain and refresh under cold water. Place cabbage in a pan with 3 tbsp double cream and 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard, and reheat. Season and serve.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, February 2011

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?1 star out of 52 stars out of 53 stars out of 54 stars out of 55 stars out of 5

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

CommentQuestionTip

Overall rating

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.12 ratings

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access for just £6. Find triple-tested recipes that take the stress out of deciding what to cook, spend less time planning, and more time enjoying the season.

Subscribe now