The pork is excellent – and the crackling was spot on. The potato & black pudding mash very good- but rich.
I liked the onion sauce but I tend to agree with Sheila that a chunky apple sauce would have been better. A daunting list of ingredients, but most of them go in the brine.
Ingredients
1.5kg pork belly
2 onions 2, finely diced
200ml beer or larger
500ml chicken stock
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
1 tablespoon English mustard
For the brine
200g salt
150g demerara sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
thyme a sprig
For the mash
4 large potatoes
100ml milk
100ml double cream
100g butter
200g black pudding diced
Method
At least 48 hours before you plan to eat the pork. Bring all of the brine ingredients with 1 litre of water up to the boil and make sure all of the sugar and salt has dissolved. Let the brine go cold. Put the pork belly into a plastic container or ceramic dish and pour over the brine. Put a lid on and put into the fridge for 24 hours.
Remove the pork from the brine, pat it dry and leave uncovered in the fridge for a further 24 hours.
Pre heat the oven to 150c
Put the pork belly onto a rack then onto a baking tray. Pat dry with kitchen roll and roast in the oven for 2½-3 hours until crisp and golden. Give it a blast of heat at the end if you need to help the crackling.
While the pork is cooking, boil the potatoes. Bring the milk, cream and butter up to the boil and add it to the potato to get a creamy consistency. In a pan, fry the black pudding with a little oil until crisp then fold into the mashed potato. Season and keep warm.
Fry down the onions in a pan until soft. Add the ale and reduce down to a glaze over a high heat. Add the chicken stock and reduce down again until sauce consistency. Take the sauce from the heat and then whisk in the two mustards.
Serve
Original recipe Olive magazine
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