Slow-cooked pork belly with red cabbage and mash
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- + overnight salting + resting
- Easy
- Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1.75kg boneless pork belly, skin scored heavily
- 2 tbsp sea salt
RED CABBAGE
- 25g butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red cabbage, sliced
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 bramley apples, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp soft light brown or demerara sugar
MUSTARD MASH
- 1.5kg King Edward potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 50g butter
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 100ml milk
- 4 tbsp double cream
Method
- STEP 1
Rub the pork all over with 1 tbsp sea salt then put on a metal rack over a dish. Put uncovered in the bottom of the fridge and leave overnight.
- STEP 2
The next day put the whole dish in the sink and pour a kettle of boiling water over the skin. Leave to cool and drain.
- STEP 3
Heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Lift the pork on its rack and put over a roasting tin. Pat the skin dry with kitchen paper and sprinkle with more sea salt. Roast for 3 hours.
- STEP 4
To make the cabbage, heat the butter in a non-stick lidded pan. Cook the onion for 5 minutes then add the cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, season and stir well, then add a splash of water and cook for 45 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and glossy.
- STEP 5
To make the mash, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender then drain well and push through a ricer back into the pan. Season then beat in the butter, mustard, milk and cream over a gentle heat. Cover and reheat to serve (add a little more milk when reheating if it gets too dry).
- STEP 6
After 3 hours take the pork from the oven and turn it up to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Use a sharp knife to separate the skin from the pork then trim any excess fat. Cover the pork with foil and rest. Put the skin on a baking tray and return to the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the crackling is puffed and crisp. Cut the pork into large squares and serve with the cabbage, crackling and mash.