Belly of pork with cider and rosemary

Name: Belly of pork with cider and rosemary
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h 45 min
Total time: 5 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 kg (4 1/2lb) piece pork belly roast, preferably on the bone; 500 mL bottle medium cider; 600 mL (1 pint) hot chicken stock; 20 g pack fresh rosemary; 3 fat garlic cloves, peeled and halved; 2 tbsp. olive oil; Zest and juice of 1 large orange and 1 lemon; 3 tbsp. light muscovado sugar; 1 tbsp. plain flour; 25 g (1oz) softened butter

The cooking time is long here, but this recipe is simplicity itself, with minimal preparation. It may be high in calories, but enjoy it for a special occasion.

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 23 October 2007

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Food, Dishware, Serveware, Tableware, Cuisine, Plate, Meal, Ingredient, Produce, Pork,

Preparation Notes: plus chilling

Serving notes:

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Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

4 hrs 45 mins

Total Time:

5 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients

2 kg (4 1/2lb) piece pork belly roast, preferably on the bone
500 ml bottle medium cider
600 ml (1 pint) hot chicken stock
20 g pack fresh rosemary
3 fat garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 large orange and 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. light muscovado sugar
1 Tbsp. plain flour
25 g (1oz) softened butter

Directions

1. Step 1
  Preheat the oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan) mark 2. Put the pork, skin-side up, into a roasting tin just large enough to hold it. Add the cider, stock and half the rosemary. Bring to the boil on the hob, cover with foil and cook in the oven for 4hr. Leave to cool in the cooking liquid.
2. Step 2
  Strip leaves from the remaining rosemary stalks and chop. Put into a pestle and mortar with the garlic, olive oil, orange and lemon zest, 1tsp salt and 1tbsp muscovado sugar. Pound for 3-4min to make a rough paste. You could use a strong bowl and the end of a rolling pin instead.
3. Step 3
  Remove the pork from the tin, reserving the cooking liquid, and slice off the skin from the top layer of fat. Set aside. Score the fat into a diamond pattern and rub in the rosemary paste. Cover loosely with clingfilm and chill until required.
4. Step 4
  Pat the pork rind dry with kitchen paper and transfer it (fat-side up) to a foil-lined baking sheet. Cook under a hot grill, about 10cm (4in) away from the heat, for 5min. Turn over, sprinkle lightly with salt, then grill for 7-10min or until crisp. Cool, then cut into rough pieces. Store in an airtight container.
5. Step 5
  Strain cooking liquid into a pan. Add the orange and lemon juice and the remaining 2tbsp sugar, bring to the boil and bubble until reduced by half. Meanwhile, blend the flour and butter to a paste, then whisk into the bubbling liquid. Boil for 4-5min until thickened. Set aside.
6. Step 6
  When almost ready to serve, preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7. Cook the pork uncovered in a roasting tin for 20min until piping hot. Wrap the crackling in foil and warm in the oven for the last 5min of the cooking time. Heat the gravy on the hob. Take the meat to the table, carve the pork and serve with the crackling by the side.

Per Serving:

Calories: 765
Total carbs: 14 g
Sugars: 12 g
Total fat: 55 g
Saturated fat: 20 g

The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time