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Slow-roast pork belly with lemon, parsley and caper gremolata

Name: Slow-roast pork belly with lemon, parsley and caper gremolata
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h 10 min
Total time: 4 h 40 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 2kg piece British free-range pork belly, boneless (ask your butcher to remove, score and reserve the pork belly skin for you in a single piece); Knob of butter, softened; 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage; 1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and lightly ground in a pestle and mortar; 300ml good quality chicken stock; 300ml dry white wine; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 tbsp capers, rinsed and dried; Finely grated zest 2 lemons; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 4 tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley; Baby carrots to serve (optional); You’ll also need…; Roomy roasting tin; kitchen string; kitchen scissors; baking tray lined with compostable baking paper

Published: 11 Feb 20
Updated: 8 Oct 24

Serve up our slow-roast pork belly with the herby gremolata to add a touch of freshness to this rich meat, then enjoy alongside our herby hasselback potatoes.

Medium
February 2020

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6
Hands-on time 30 min, oven time 4 hours 10 min

Serve up our slow-roast pork belly with the herby gremolata to add a touch of freshness to this rich meat, then enjoy alongside our herby hasselback potatoes.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 831kcals
Fat: 61g (20.2g saturated)
Protein: 67.6g
Carbohydrates: 2.3g (0.8g sugars)
Fibre: 1.3g
Salt: 1.4g

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Ingredients

2kg piece British free-range pork belly, boneless (ask your butcher to remove, score and reserve the pork belly skin for you in a single piece)
Knob of butter, softened
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and lightly ground in a pestle and mortar
300ml good quality chicken stock
300ml dry white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp capers, rinsed and dried
Finely grated zest 2 lemons
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4 tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley
Baby carrots to serve (optional)

You’ll also need…

Roomy roasting tin; kitchen string; kitchen scissors; baking tray lined with compostable baking paper

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Method

Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Lay the pork belly flat on a work surface. Mix together the softened butter, sage, fennel, a little salt and
a grinding of black pepper. Rub the mixture all over the pork, spreading it thinly. Roll up the belly in a cylinder shape, put the skin back on top to cover the whole joint, then use kitchen string to tie the skin firmly in place at 2cm intervals, tying securely. Put the pork aside in the roasting tin.
Pour the stock and wine around the meat, then transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, wrap the whole roasting tin loosely in foil, turn down the oven temperature to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2 and return the tin to the oven to roast for a further 3½ hours.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan until hot. Add the capers and fry for 2-3 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove from the pan. Set the capers aside.

After 3½ hours, remove the pork from the oven. Increase the temperature to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Snip the string holding the pork skin and transfer the roast to a board (be careful as it will be very hot). Wrap the pork belly in the foil and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the pork juices into a small saucepan.
Using kitchen scissors, cut the pork skin into thin strips. Arrange on the lined baking tray, then roast in the oven for 20 minutes more or until the skin is beautifully crisp and golden.
Meanwhile, spoon off and discard the layer of fat sitting on top of the juices in the saucepan. Set the pan over a medium heat, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced slightly. Take off the heat and keep warm.
In a small bowl, combine the crispy capers, lemon zest, garlic and parsley to make the gremolata. Carve the pork into slices, then arrange on warmed plates. Top with the gremolata and strips of crispy crackling, then serve with
the hasselback potatoes and caramelised apples, plus steamed carrots if you like, all drizzled with the gravy.