Popping Paprika Pork Belly

A wonderful rich meat served with potato or rice, seasonal vegetables or zesty slaw.

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp salt

1 tsp cracked pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp lime juice

8 cloves freshly crushed garlic 2 diced onions

1 small diced kumara

2 tbsp brown sugar

1½ tbsp salt

2 cups apple cider

½ cup beef stock Mix oil, first measure of salt, pepper, paprika and lime juice together in the bottom of a roasting pan. Rub all over a 1.5–1.8 kg piece of skin-on NZ Pork Belly. Be sure to score pork skin with a craft knife in crisscross lines down to the fat but not the meat, to achieve maximum crackle! Rub all over the meat and skin.

Add garlic and onions to the leftover rub in the roasting pan. Lay pork on top and cook uncovered in the oven at 200°C on the middle rack, for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place pork belly to the side. Add kumara, brown sugar, second measure of salt, apple cider and beef stock to the pan. Mix round to get all the beautiful sticky flavour from the pan. Place pork back into roasting pan making sure skin is just above liquid. Cook low and slow for a further 90 minutes at 150°C. Rest meat for 10 minutes.

While the pork is resting, push jus through a sieve and be sure to push as much of the tender kumara, onion and garlic through as you can, as it creates not only flavour but also the thickening of the sauce.