Slow-cooked crackling pork with sweet and sour cabbage and creamy mustard mash
3 HOURS 30 MINUTES + OVERNIGHT SALTING + RESTING SERVES 6 | EASY | GF
There are two tricks here for perfect crackling: salting the skin overnight to dry it out, and giving it a final blast of heat while the meat rests so it can puff up and crisp. boneless pork belly 1.75kg, skin scored heavily
sea salt 2 tbsp
RED CABBAGE
butter 25g
onion 1, chopped
red cabbage 1, sliced
fennel seeds 1 tsp
dried chilli flakes 1 tsp (optional) Bramley apples 2, peeled and diced red wine vinegar 2 tbsp soft light brown or demerara sugar 3 tbsp MUSTARD MASH King Edward potatoes 1.5kg, peeled and quartered butter 50g dijon mustard 2 tbsp milk 100ml double cream 4 tbsp
• Rub the pork all over with 1 tbsp sea salt then put on a metal rack over a dish. Put uncovered in the bottom of the fridge and leave overnight.
• The next day put the whole dish in the sink and pour a kettle of boiling water over the skin. Leave to cool and drain.
• Heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Lift the pork on its rack and put over a roasting tin. Pat the skin dry with kitchen paper and sprinkle with more sea salt. Roast for 3 hours.
• To make the cabbage, heat the butter in a non-stick lidded pan. Cook the onion for 5 minutes then add the cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, season and stir well, then add a splash of water and cook for 45 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and glossy.
• To make the mash, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender then drain well and push through a ricer back into the pan. Season then beat in the butter, mustard, milk and cream over a gentle heat. Cover and reheat to serve (add a little more milk when reheating if it gets too dry).
• After 3 hours take the pork from the oven and turn it up to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Use a sharp knife to separate the skin from the pork then trim any excess fat. Cover the pork with foil and rest. Put the skin on a baking tray and return to the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the crackling is puffed and crisp. Cut the pork into large squares and serve with the cabbage, crackling and mash.
PER SERVING 1,031 KCALS | FAT 62.9G SATURATES 27.5G | CARBS 57.8G | SUGARS 21G FIBRE 8.5G | PROTEIN 54.2G | SALT 2G