If you are having friends round at the weekend, this caramelised pork belly will certainly impress. This is also a recipe for which your butcher does a lot of the work. There is nothing worse that a pork belly full of fat and your butcher can make sure that doesn’t happen. Just ask for it to be boned, rolled, trimmed and ready for cooking.
This is a less-used cut and very good value. It makes a great Sunday lunch and we cook it a lot at the school – people rave about it. We probably cook at least 20 each week at the restaurant.
Instead of wilted spinach you might like to try bok choy, a delicious Chinese cabbage that is now widely available. At this time of the year sprouting broccoli is very nice. Leafy green chard is also good.
This honey and ginger sauce is fabulous with pork chops, chicken breasts, duck or grilled turkey breasts and it keeps well in the fridge.
Lastly, a big thank you for all your support, which has lifted my new book The Nation’s Favourite Food Fast to number one bestseller. I am thrilled and delighted to hear from people who are trying out the recipes.
Happy cooking.
Caramelised pork belly with honey and ginger sauce
Serves six
2 tbsp of rapeseed oil
1.5kg (3lb) of pork belly, skin removed, boned and rolled
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1.2 litres (2 pints) of beef stock
600ml (1 pint) of red wine
600ml (1 pint) of apple juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 tsp of softened butter
4 tbsp of clear honey
4 tbsp of dark soy sauce
2 star anise
Wilted spinach, to serve
Honey and ginger sauce, to serve
Creamy mashed potatoes, to serve
Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F/gas mark three). Heat one tablespoon of oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the pork belly and brown it all over. Transfer the pork into a casserole dish. Add the carrots and onion to the pan and cook them for five minutes, until golden brown. Tip the vegetables over the seared pork belly and stir in the beef stock, red wine, apple juice, garlic and herbs. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake for three hours, until the pork belly is tender. Remove it from the oven and leave it to sit for one hour. Take it out, cut the string and wrap it twice in tin foil. Reserve the braising juices to use in the sauce. It’s best to cook the meat 24 hours in advance.
To reheat the pork belly, put a large frying pan on a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil and the butter. Cut the pork into 12 even-sized slices and arrange in the hot frying pan – you may have to do this in batches. Cook for two to three minutes on each side, until just golden. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add the honey, soy sauce and star anise to the pan and allow to bubble down for one to two minutes, until syrupy. Return the pieces of pork to the pan and cook for another three to four minutes, basting regularly, until sticky and caramelised.
To serve, place two slices of pork belly on each plate and add some wilted spinach. Spoon the honey and ginger sauce alongside the pork. Serve the potatoes in a separate dish.
Wilted spinach
Serves six
100g (4oz) of butter
550g (1lb 4oz) of spinach
Pinch of caster sugar
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Heat a pan over a medium heat and add the butter. Once it has stopped foaming, quickly sauté the spinach with the sugar until soft and wilted. Season to taste and drain well on kitchen paper to remove excess moisture. Return to the pan and keep warm. Use as required.
Creamy mashed potatoes
Serves four to six
1.5kg (3lb) of floury potatoes
120ml (4fl oz) of milk and/or cream
100g (4oz) of butter
1 tsp of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Place the potatoes in a large pan of salted water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Drain and return to the pan over a low heat to dry out.Mash the potatoes or pass them through a potato ricer if you want a really smooth finish. Heat the milk and/or cream in a small pan. Using a wooden spoon, beat 75g (3oz) of butter into the potatoes until it has melted and then beat in enough of the hot milk to achieve a smooth, creamy purée. Season to taste.To serve, melt the remaining 25g (1oz) of butter in a small pan or in the microwave. Put the creamy mashed potatoes into a warmed serving dish and spoon over the melted butter. Season with pepper and sprinkle over the parsley. Use as required.Honey and ginger sauce
Makes about 200ml (7fl oz)
225ml (8fl oz) of beef stock/braising stock
4 tbsp of clear honey
2 tbsp of light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp of tomato ketchup
5cm root ginger, peeled and sliced
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Place the stock, honey, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup and ginger in a small pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer vigorously for five minutes until it’s thickened to a sauce consistency.Season to taste, then pass through a sieve into a clean pan, discarding the ginger. Reheat gently and use as required.
If you are having friends round at the weekend, this caramelised pork belly will certainly impress. This is also a recipe for which your butcher does a lot of the work. There is nothing worse that a pork belly full of fat and your butcher can make sure that doesn’t happen. Just ask for it to be boned, rolled, trimmed and ready for cooking.
This is a less-used cut and very good value. It makes a great Sunday lunch and we cook it a lot at the school – people rave about it. We probably cook at least 20 each week at the restaurant.
Instead of wilted spinach you might like to try bok choy, a delicious Chinese cabbage that is now widely available. At this time of the year sprouting broccoli is very nice. Leafy green chard is also good.
This honey and ginger sauce is fabulous with pork chops, chicken breasts, duck or grilled turkey breasts and it keeps well in the fridge.
Lastly, a big thank you for all your support, which has lifted my new book The Nation’s Favourite Food Fast to number one bestseller. I am thrilled and delighted to hear from people who are trying out the recipes.
Happy cooking.
Caramelised pork belly with honey and ginger sauce
Serves six
2 tbsp of rapeseed oil
1.5kg (3lb) of pork belly, skin removed, boned and rolled
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1.2 litres (2 pints) of beef stock
600ml (1 pint) of red wine
600ml (1 pint) of apple juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 tsp of softened butter
4 tbsp of clear honey
4 tbsp of dark soy sauce
2 star anise
Wilted spinach, to serve
Honey and ginger sauce, to serve
Creamy mashed potatoes, to serve
Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F/gas mark three). Heat one tablespoon of oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the pork belly and brown it all over. Transfer the pork into a casserole dish. Add the carrots and onion to the pan and cook them for five minutes, until golden brown. Tip the vegetables over the seared pork belly and stir in the beef stock, red wine, apple juice, garlic and herbs. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake for three hours, until the pork belly is tender. Remove it from the oven and leave it to sit for one hour. Take it out, cut the string and wrap it twice in tin foil. Reserve the braising juices to use in the sauce. It’s best to cook the meat 24 hours in advance.
To reheat the pork belly, put a large frying pan on a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil and the butter. Cut the pork into 12 even-sized slices and arrange in the hot frying pan – you may have to do this in batches. Cook for two to three minutes on each side, until just golden. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add the honey, soy sauce and star anise to the pan and allow to bubble down for one to two minutes, until syrupy. Return the pieces of pork to the pan and cook for another three to four minutes, basting regularly, until sticky and caramelised.
To serve, place two slices of pork belly on each plate and add some wilted spinach. Spoon the honey and ginger sauce alongside the pork. Serve the potatoes in a separate dish.
Wilted spinach
Serves six
100g (4oz) of butter
550g (1lb 4oz) of spinach
Pinch of caster sugar
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Heat a pan over a medium heat and add the butter. Once it has stopped foaming, quickly sauté the spinach with the sugar until soft and wilted. Season to taste and drain well on kitchen paper to remove excess moisture. Return to the pan and keep warm. Use as required.
Creamy mashed potatoes
Serves four to six
1.5kg (3lb) of floury potatoes
120ml (4fl oz) of milk and/or cream
100g (4oz) of butter
1 tsp of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Place the potatoes in a large pan of salted water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Drain and return to the pan over a low heat to dry out.Mash the potatoes or pass them through a potato ricer if you want a really smooth finish. Heat the milk and/or cream in a small pan. Using a wooden spoon, beat 75g (3oz) of butter into the potatoes until it has melted and then beat in enough of the hot milk to achieve a smooth, creamy purée. Season to taste.To serve, melt the remaining 25g (1oz) of butter in a small pan or in the microwave. Put the creamy mashed potatoes into a warmed serving dish and spoon over the melted butter. Season with pepper and sprinkle over the parsley. Use as required.Honey and ginger sauce
Makes about 200ml (7fl oz)
225ml (8fl oz) of beef stock/braising stock
4 tbsp of clear honey
2 tbsp of light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp of tomato ketchup
5cm root ginger, peeled and sliced
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Place the stock, honey, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup and ginger in a small pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer vigorously for five minutes until it’s thickened to a sauce consistency.Season to taste, then pass through a sieve into a clean pan, discarding the ginger. Reheat gently and use as required.
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