Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients

Cooks in:3 hours        Serves:6-8

• 2.5kg pork belly, de-boned, trimmed and scored
• 2 heaped tsp fleur de sel
• 2 red onions, cut into sixths
• 2-3 apples, cut into sixths
• 1 cup white wine (or cider or stock)

Creamy Cauliflower Mash

• 2 heads cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp cream
• 1 Tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste

What to do

1. Pre-heat oven to 220C. Salt the skin of the pork belly generously, rubbing the salt into the scoring marks.

2. Place the pork belly in a deep baking dish in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the pork, add in the onions and apples, turn the temperature down to 150C and cook for another 2.5-3 hours, or until the meat is tender. If your skin is not as crispy as you’d like before removing the meat from the oven, turn on the grill for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking, or until it is blistered and golden.

3. Remove the pork from the oven, set aside to rest. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions and apples, add them to a small mixing bowl, mash roughly and then place in small ramekins or seving bowls to accompany the pork.

4. Make a gravy with the remaining pan juices (see below).

5. Cut the pork belly into serving portions, about 4cm x 6cm each. Serve immediately with the gravy, apple and onion relish and side dishes.

For the Gravy

Once the Pork Belly has cooked, remove the meat and set aside to rest. 
Remove the cooked apples and red onions using a slotted spoon and serve alongside the meat. 
Add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp plain flour to a heavy-based pot over medium heat, mix together well as the flour melts using a wooden spoon (this will make a roux) and cook the buttery paste for about a minute, until lightly golden. 
Add in the pan juices and allow the mixture to bubble for 2-3 minutes, then serve alongside the meal.

Creamy Cauliflower Mash

1. Boil the cauliflower in a large pot of salted boiling water until it can be easily pierced with a knife, about 10-15 minutes.

2. Remove, drain and allow to steam dry for a few minutes. Add in the cream and butter and blend until smooth using a stick blender. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Photo from 'Sarah Graham's Food Safari' by Ricardo de Leça.

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