All awkward piglet puns and jokes aside, This Little Pig loves Pork Belly! It used to have serious issues cooking the thing; having varied results and a constant commentary of “is it cooked all the way through yet?” and “darn the skin's not crispy.” Luckily This Little Pig FINALLY stumbled across a fabulous recipe that guarantees crispy skinned, tender pork and has never looked back, riding a golden wave to food heaven. This number is delicious and really easy and would be perfect to win friends and influence people at a dinner party. Whilst the use of fennel may alarm the piglets in the audience who dislike the aniseed taste, This Little Pig assures you that it comes out tasting not of aniseed but of delicious garlic, white wine and herbed goodness. So just give it a try piglets. Oink!
Crispy Skinned Pork Belly.
Feeds: 4 Hungry Piglets.
Prep Time: 15 Mins. Cooking Time: 2.5 Hrs.
Ingredients for Fabulousness:
1.5 x Kg Free Range Pork Belly – scored skin: ask your favourite butcher to do this, as it’s tricky unless you have a verrrrry sharp knife!
1 x Cup White Wine
2 x Fennel Bulbs
1 x Tbs Olive Oil
5 x Garlic Cloves
2 x Tbs Fennel Seeds
6 x Cardamom Pods
5 x Star Anise
2 x Tbs Powdered Stock
1 x Tbs Salt
1 x Tbs Pepper
3 x Bay Leaves
2 x Tbs Dijon Mustard
1 x Slice of Bread
How to Make Fabulousness:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
- Boil kettle and then pour 2 Litres of boiling water over your powdered stock in a large bowl. Gently stir and let stock dissolve (make sure it’s a lovely salty stock – add more stock powder if you need).
- Pat your pork skin dry with a paper towel and then rub in your salt (1 Tbs), pepper (1 Tbs) and half of your olive oil (1 Tbs).
- Finely chop your fennel bulbs (2) and using the back of your knife give your garlic (5 cloves) a firm parental smack to lightly crush it, then remove the garlic skin and discard.
- Place a large oven tray on your cooktop and heat the last of your olive oil (1 Tbs) until hot to trot on a high heat.
- Throw in your diced fennel and whole bulbs of garlic. Stir until fennel is starting to soften.
- Add in your star anise (5), lightly crushed cardamom pods (6) – give these another firm parental smack with the back of your knife - and your bay leaves (3). Stir until fragrant.
- Move your sautéed veg to the sides of the roasting tray and then nestle your pork, skin side down in the tray. Sear the skin for a few mins or until starting to turn golden.
- Turn your pork skin side up and pour in your cup of white wine around your pork belly (don’t pour it on the skin) to deglaze the pan. Allow the alcohol to burn off and bubble for a few mins.
- Sprinkle your fennel seeds (2 Tbs) into the cracks of your pork belly skin.
- Pour your hot stock around the pork (again don’t pour it on the skin) until it completely fills the pan up, until just below the skin of the pork. You want the skin to stay dry and get nice and crisp, whilst the tender meat below poaches gently in your lovely pan juices.
- Place your tray into the oven for 2 hours or until the skin is a crispy golden colour and the meat below is a tender, tender beauty.
- Once cooked, remove your pork from the tray and let it rest on a plate whilst you prepare the sauce.
- Take your slice of bread and gently drag it over the surface of your roasting pan to absorb some of the fat sitting on the surface. Discard the bread (or make the most amazing fried bread in the world – it’s up to you piglet, don’t say we made you do it).
- Gently whisk your Dijon mustard (2 Tbs) into your roasted veg pan and then pour it all into a serving jug.
- Using a serrated edged knife cut your pork belly along the scored lines into thick slices. Pour over a gentle serving of your divine sauce and This Little Pig recommends serving with lightly blanched lemon broccollini and some crusty bread. Wowsers.
