Pork belly with bacon jam and crackling

FOR THE BACON JAM:

250g rindless bacon, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

250g dark brown sugar

2 shots of espresso

1 large white onion, finely diced

150ml red wine vinegar

100g maple syrup

FOR THE SWEET POTATO PUREE: 1kg sweet potatoes, peeled

50g maple syrup, Salt

150g unsalted butter

FOR THE PORK BELLY:

1kg pork belly, skin off

1 pint Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted beer

500ml apple juice

2 carrots, roughly chopped

1 white onion, roughly chopped

1 sprig thyme, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

FOR THE CRACKLING:

Pork skin Oil, salt, pepper

METHOD

1 Start by making the bacon jam. Add all of the ingredients to a heavy based pot and cook on a low heat until the mixture becomes thick with a sticky jam-like consistency. Pour into a food processer and pulse until it reaches your preferred texture. Smooth with a few chunky bits works best for this dish. Pour into a jar and refrigerate for at least one hour.

2 Next, prepare the pork belly. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C. Place the pork in a deep oven tray and cover with the beer and apple juice. Add the carrot, thyme, garlic and onion to the tray. Cover with parchment paper and tinfoil and cook in the pre-heated oven for three hours. Remove the pork from the oven and tray and place on a clean tray, reserving the cooking liquor from the previous tray. Place another clean tray on top of the pork and using a heavy weight, press the pork belly overnight in the fridge.

3 Meanwhile, chill the cooking liquor to separate the juices and fat.

4 Once the belly is cold and firm, cut into portions.

5 To make the sweet potato puree, chop the sweet potato to small equal sized pieces and boil in salted water until soft and tender then drain and puree with butter and maple syrup until smooth and shiny. Season to taste.

6 Finally prepare the crackling. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Place the skin on a tray, drizzle with oil and season with the salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook the crackling in the pre- heated oven for 20 minutes or until crispy.

7 Remove the fat from the chilled cooking liquor from the pork and add to a pan. Heat and reduce the liquid by 2/3 to create the sauce.

8 To serve, warm the pork belly in reduced cooking juices, continually basting until it Is hot, thick and sticky. Warm the sweet potato puree and make sure the bacon jam is at room temperature. Arrange the elements on the plate, snap the crackling into shards and serve.

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