Braised pork belly with cotechino & green lentils

SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 4 HOURS (+ SOAKING + REFRIGERATION TIME)

600g free-range pork belly, skinless

2 fresh bay leaves

8 sprigs thyme

1 x 500g piece Italian sausage (cotechino or similar)

⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil

8 (280g) golden shallots, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 large (280g) carrots, chopped coarsely

2 sticks celery, chopped coarsely

½ cup (125ml) verjuice

400g can chopped tomatoes 1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock LENTILS

1¼ cups (250g) Australian green lentils, rinsed and soaked in cold water for ½ hr

2 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tablespoon preserved lemon rind, chopped

½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped 100ml extra virgin olive oil

1 Start preparing the pork the night before. Sprinkle an oven tray with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, the bay leaves and 4 sprigs of thyme. Lay the pork belly on the tray and massage in the salt and pepper, and herbs. Cover, refrigerate overnight.

2 The next day, wash the sausage, then place in a saucepan of cold water and slowly bring to the boil over a medium heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove and set aside.

3 Lightly rinse the seasoning off the pork belly, reserving the herbs, then pat dry.

4 Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based, cast-iron casserole dish over a low-medium heat; cook the pork for a few minutes each side or until sealed all over. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the shallots, garlic, reserved herbs and remaining thyme to the pan; cook over medium heat for

5-7 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until vegetables have softened.

5 Deglaze the pan with 1/3 cup (80ml) of the verjuice, then return the meat to the pan, along with the sausage. Pour over the tomatoes and stock, then increase the heat to high and bring to simmering point. Reduce the heat to as low as possible and simmer, covered, for 3 hours.

6 LENTILS Place the drained lentils and garlic in a mediumsized saucepan and cover with water. Cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain, remove the garlic and stir the preserved lemon, parsley and olive oil into the lentils. 7 To serve, slice the sausage and pork into large pieces. Ladle the lentils onto a serving platter, then top with pork, sausage, vegetables and pan juices.

Not suitable to freeze.