Serves 4-6.
The size of the pork joints is essentially limited by what will fit in the Dutch oven. I usually find 2 large-ish joints will just about fit. Try to get fairly thick pieces with plenty of lean meat as well as just fat.
Ingredients:
- 2 pork belly joints
- 500ml cider
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 25g butter
- 4 large red potatoes
- 4-5 shallots, chopped
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 300ml white wine
- 300ml cloudy apple juice
- a generous splash of white wine vinegar
- a little rosemary and thyme
- olive oil for frying
- a little salt
- The evening before cooking, open the packaging on the pork, drain off any liquid and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight. This will help dry out the skin to hopefully give better crackling.
- At least an hour before cooking, sprinkle the surface of the pork with salt.
- Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Score the skin with a scalpel or razor blade, cutting into strips roughly 1cm wide. Place on a wire rack in a large Dutch oven. Place uncovered in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Remove from the oven and turn the temperature down to around 150 degrees. Remove the rack and place the pork in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the cider; it should mostly cover the pork but leave the skin above the surface of the liquid. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and return to the oven for around another 2 hours.
- About half an hour before the meat finishes, peel and chop the potatoes, then boil for about 25 minutes until soft.
- While the potatoes are boiling, start on the gravy. Fry the shallots and garlic until softened and starting to brown.
- Add the vinegar and continue frying until it is absorbed or evaporated.
- Add the white wine, rosemary and thyme. Allow to reduce until about half of the liquid is gone.
- Mix the cornflour with a little of the apple juice to form a smooth paste. Add this, along with the rest of the apple juice, to the gravy. Allow to reduce.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Add any remaining liquid to the gravy and continue to reduce. Place the meat under a medium grill for a few minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and add the butter and mustard. Mash until smooth.
- Remove the meat from the grill and divide into portions.
- Serve the meat on a bed of mash, with the gravy poured over the top.