Slow Roast Belly Pork
I have to say this is one of my favourite roasts. Perfect for entertaining as it can be made in advance and then simply browned when ready to serve. Economical too ! – around 80p per serving. Freezes well after the long roast then defrost before browning.
Serves 6 people
Ingredients
1.5 Kg piece of belly pork, skin on and bone removed
For the marinade:
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon plus the juice
2 tbsp fresh parsley (include stalks too)
2 tsp fennel seeds crushed
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped or 1 tsp dried
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Preparation
In the morning:
Lay the pork skin side down on a board or large plate.
Blitz the marinating ingredients together in a blender then rub the rough paste into the flesh side of the belly pork.
Cover and place in the fridge for about 4-6 hours or overnight.
In the evening:
I tend to cook the meat overnight so at bedtime I take the meat from the fridge. You will need a small roasting tin with a rack.
Lay the meat skin side uppermost on the rack then pour into the tin 400ml boiling water or sufficient to cover the bottom of the tin but not touch the meat.
Immediately cover the meat with a tent of foil or use a covered roasting tin then place in the oven set at 100 degrees c and cook for 12 hours.
The next morning:
Remove the cover and place the meat, skin side uppermost on a tray and allow to go completely cold. I reserve the juices to make a gravy.
When cold, with a sharp knife carefully remove the skin then set aside. Try to remove only a thin layer of skin ensuring the meat and fat are left in fact. Trim the piece of meat so that you have straight sides then cut the meat into six even sized portions.
Take then the piece of skin and using scissors cut long thin strips – these will become your crackling.
When ready to cook start with the crackling. Heat a non stick frying pan (don’t add any fat or oil) on the hob or cook in the oven if you have an oven proof pan. Lay the strips of skin in the pan and give a sprinkling of salt. Cover with a thin rack or trivet if you want the strips to crisp up flat. They tend to jump about and pop as they heat up so beware. Turn the skin strips so that they crisp on both sides. Once cooked and crispy remove to a warm plate.
Reduce the heat of the pan to medium and pour off any fat before starting to brown the portions of meat.
Take then the portions of meat and cook each side of each portion until golden brown and heated through. Each side will take about 2-3 minutes to brown.
To make the gravy mix 1-2 tbsp cornflour and 1 tbsp gravy browning with the juices from the overnight cooking. Heat and stir to thicken. Check for seasoning, add more water if the gravy is too thick.
Serve with creamed potatoes and vegetables.
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