Recipe

Slow-Cooked Pork Belly with Fennel & Apple Salsa

Name: Slow-Cooked Pork Belly with Fennel & Apple Salsa
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1.2kg pork belly, skin deeply scored (ask your butcher); 2 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika; 2 tsp fine sea salt; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 bulbs fennel, cut into thick wedges, fronds reserved; 250ml dry cider (or unsweetened apple juice); 100ml water; For the salsa: 2 crisp apples (Granny Smith or Cox), cored and finely diced; For the salsa: large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; For the salsa: 1 banana shallot, very finely diced; For the salsa: 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; For the salsa: 2 tbsp good olive oil; For the salsa: pinch of sea salt

Pork belly started at high heat for crackling, then dropped low and slow for three hours. The fennel melts into the cooking juices. The apple salsa cuts through everything.

Serves 4

Ready in 3 hrs 45 min

Keeps 4 days fridge

Level Moderate

1.2kg pork belly, skin deeply scored (ask your butcher)
2 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 bulbs fennel, cut into thick wedges, fronds reserved
250ml dry cider (or unsweetened apple juice)
100ml water
For the salsa: 2 crisp apples (Granny Smith or Cox), cored and finely diced
For the salsa: large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
For the salsa: 1 banana shallot, very finely diced
For the salsa: 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
For the salsa: 2 tbsp good olive oil
For the salsa: pinch of sea salt

Method

Combine the crushed fennel seeds, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture thoroughly into the underside and sides of the pork belly — not the skin. Leave the belly uncovered in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours. The uncovered rest dries the skin, which is the first step towards good crackling.

Take the pork out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking — cold meat in a hot oven extends cooking time unevenly. Just before it goes in, pat the skin completely dry with kitchen paper. Rub with a small amount of neutral oil and a pinch of fine salt. Dry skin is the only reliable route to crackling.

Preheat your oven to 220°C / gas 7. Place the pork belly skin-side up in a large roasting tray. Roast for 25 minutes until the skin is blistering, puffed in places, and beginning to crackle audibly.

Remove from the oven. Drop the temperature to 150°C / gas 2. Arrange the fennel wedges in the base of the tray, nestled beneath the pork belly. Pour the cider and water around — not over — the meat. Cover the tray tightly with foil and return to the oven.

Slow-cook for 2 hours 30 minutes. The belly is ready when a skewer passes through the meat with no resistance and the fat has rendered visibly. Remove the foil for the final 20 minutes to encourage the crackling to re-crisp.

Transfer the belly to a board and rest, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes. While it rests, make the salsa: combine the diced apple, parsley, shallot, cider vinegar, olive oil and salt. Taste — it should be sharp, herby, and a direct contrast to the richness of the pork.

Carve the belly through the crackling into portions. Serve with the fennel from the roasting tray, the apple salsa alongside, and the reserved fennel fronds scattered over. The cooking liquid in the tray — skim the fat, reduce briefly — makes a loose sauce worth serving with it.

✦ Chef's note

If the crackling softens before you're ready to serve, place the carved belly skin-side up under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes. Watch it closely. The cooking liquid at the bottom of the tray is concentrated, porky and slightly sweet from the cider — skim the fat, reduce it by half in a small pan, and spoon over as a finishing sauce.