Spicy pork belly with prune chutney

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Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving

Calories 896 Calories from Fat 657

% Daily Value*

Fat 73g112%

Saturated Fat 26g163%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 96mg32%

Sodium 250mg11%

Potassium 848mg24%

Carbohydrates 48g16%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 28g31%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 629IU13%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 57mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Spicy pork belly with prune chutney

Deliciously crispy roast pork belly

Prep Time40

Cook Time2

Marinating time1

Total Time1 2 40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Servings:

Calories: 896kcal

Equipment

Large jar
Small roasting dish
Wire cooling rack
Medium saucepan

Ingredients

425g tinned prunes. (We used a can of Del Monte Prunes in Juice)
2 fat cloves of garlic
1 tbsp light coloured vinegar (cider, red, white or rice are all fine)
1 tbsp light cooking oil
1 tsp Chinese five spice
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp coarse salt or 1/4 tsp table salt
Plenty of black pepper
800 g pork belly sliced
1 large onion
2 large stalks of celery

Method

Strain the prunes, separating the juice into a large jar with a lid for the marinade. Set the prunes to one side while you make the marinade for the pork. Peel and crush (or mince)y our garlic and add to the juice, along with the vinegar and a little oil. Mix together the Chinese five spice, fennel, and salt and pepper. Add most of this seasoning to the marinade jar, keeping a little to one side. Screw the lid on tightly and shake well to mix and emulsify the marinade. Pop the pork into the smallest food-safe sealable bag or container that will hold it and pour three quarters of the marinade carefully all over. Refrigerate for 6-24 hours but no longer.
When it’s time to cook the pork, remove it from the fridge and leave for 20 minutes to reach room temperature. Preheat your oven to 210°C, gas mark 6, ensuring there is a shelf in the middle of it or just below.
Transfer the pork to the small roasting dish and pour over the marinade to just below where the top fat layer starts. Rub the remaining salt-and-spice marinade onto the exposed fat. Pop the pork belly in for 10-12 minutes to crisp the fat to crackling. Turn the heat down to 140°C, gas mark 1 and cook for a further 90 minutes. Note, oven temperatures may vary, so do check your dish every now and again.
Place a wire cooling rack on top of a roasting or baking tray (with sides) for when the pork is ready. Remove from the oven and place each piece on the wire rack to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
For the gravy: Combine one tbsp each of oil (or butter) and flour in a small saucepan over a low heat. Gradually add the meat juices, stirring the whole time, and thin with a little stock or water as desired. Taste and season. Serve hot – it will thicken as it cools
For the chutney: While the pork is marinating, it’s time to make the accompanying chutney. De-stone the prunes by gently squeezing them - the stones should pop right out. Discard the stones and pop the prunes into a medium saucepan. Peel and halve, then very finely slice your onion and celery. Add to the pan along with the remaining marinade and an extra tablespoon of vinegar. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the veg is very soft. You may need to add a splash of water here and there, so keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t dry out, but it should take around 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a clean, heat proof jar, screw the lid on while it’s hot and leave to cool completely, before labelling and popping in the fridge.

Notes

Cooking tips

Tip 1: When adding the fennel you can either use a large heavy knife or crush it in a pestle and mortar – leaving it whole works fine too.

Tip 2: If you’re planning on keeping the chutney for longer than a fortnight, you should use a sterilised jar.

Tip 3: If you don’t want to use the leftover meat juices to make a gravy, you can use them as the base for a casserole or stew with any leftover pork, beans and root vegetables – it’s far too good to waste!

Nutrition