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Maple and cider pork belly with scratching chips
Serves 12 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 300ml dry cider
- 1 cinnamon stick, bashed
- 3 allspice berries, bashed
- 6 whole cloves, bashed
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- 800g boneless pork belly fillet, skin removed and reserved
- 4tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2tbsp maple syrup
- 1tbsp Worcester sauce
- 250ml chicken stock
- 250ml apple juice
For the mash
- 500g potatoes
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 25g butter
- 2tbsp milk
- a few small sage leaves, to garnish (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 160C/310F/ Gas 3. Pour half the cider into a roasting tin and add the spices, sage sprigs and pork belly minus the skin. Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for 3 hours until very tender. Remove from the oven and pour all the pan juices into a bowl, set aside and allow liquid and meat to cool. Place the cooked pork on a shallow tray and place a second tray on top. Place a heavy weight on the top tray to press the pork as it cools.
Combine the remaining cider, tomato ketchup, maple syrup, Worcester sauce and some salt in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes until thick and syrup-like. Leave to cool and chill until required.
The next day, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Make the crackling. Thoroughly dry pork skin with a cloth and cut into 0.5cm strips. Place on a wire rack set in a roasting tin, sprinkle with salt and roast for about 40 minutes, turning halfway through until really crispy and golden. Let cool.
Make the mash. Cook the potatoes and garlic together in a pan of boiling water for 15 minutes until very tender. Drain well and pass the garlic and potatoes through a potato ricer back into the pan. Beat in the butter, milk, salt and pepper and keep warm.
Remove the pork from the fridge and cut into 24 slices or bite-size cubes; toss with the tomato glaze mixture until evenly coated. Place in a roasting tin lined with baking paper and roast at 200C/400F/Gas 6 for about 30-40 minutes until crisp and golden.
Scrape the fat from the top of the pork juices and place in a saucepan with the stock and apple juice and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer until reduced to about 250ml. Keep warm.
To serve, spoon a little mash onto each warm plate, top each one with a couple of pork slices and some crackling. Pour over the gravy and garnish with sage leaves, if desired.
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