Pork belly with bacon jam and crackling

Serves 4

Ingredients 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 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

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. Pour into a jar and refrigerate for at least one hour. 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.

Chill the cooking liquor to separate the juices and fat. Once the belly is cold and firm, cut into portions. 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 preheated oven for 20 minutes or until crispy. 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 which will be poured over the pork.

To serve, warm the pork belly in reduced cooking juices, continually basting until it is hot, thick and sticky. Serve with sweet potato purée and a little quenelle of the bacon jam which should be at room temperature.