SLOW-ROASTED PORK BELLY AND PICKLED APPLE

This pork belly is mouthwateringly juicy, with perfect crackling. It makes a scrumptious supper served with potatoes and a coleslaw or salad, but it’s equally good carved into slices to enjoy the next day in a sandwich made with crusty bread and a spoonful of apple sauce.

SERVES 6

1kg piece of pork belly (get your butcher to score the skin)

Couple of pinches of sea salt flakes

150ml dark soy sauce 200ml dry cider

250ml water

2 star anise

½tsp Chinese five spice powder FOR THE CIDER PICKLE 150ml apple cider vinegar 100g caster sugar

4 cloves

1tbsp salt

2 sweet eating apples, such as Braeburn TO SERVE Salad or your choice of vegetables

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.

2 Put the pork belly in a roasting pan and dry with a paper towel. Then, rub with a pinch of sea salt flakes and leave to stand.

3 In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, cider, water, star anise and Chinese five spice. Pour over the pork and make sure the meat, but not the skin, is mostly covered. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 2hr 45min, basting the skin halfway through. The pork should be beautifully tender.

4 Remove the foil, baste the skin in the fragrant liquid once again and sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt flakes. Pour off the excess liquid and discard. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 8 and roast the pork belly for 30–40min to help the skin crackle up. Keep an eye on the meat and don’t let it burn. Remove from the oven and let it stand for 30min.

5 While the pork is cooking, make the pickle. Heat the cider vinegar, sugar and cloves in a saucepan with the salt to make a brine. Simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

6 Once the brine has cooled, core and slice the apple, leaving the skin on. Pour the brine over the apple until it is completely covered and let it pickle for 15min.

7 Carve the pork belly finely and serve alongside the pickled apple and a salad or some of your favourite veg.