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Slow-roast pork belly with quince

Name: Slow-roast pork belly with quince
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing; 1 section pork belly on the bone, weighing about 2.5kg; 1 tbsp fine sea salt; 2 medium potatoes; 2 sprigs fresh sage or rosemary, roughly chopped; 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 2 quinces or tart eating apples, such as Granny Smith; Juice of ½ lemon; 2 medium onions, quartered; 100ml cider or dry white wine; 1 tbsp butter

Published: 31 Oct 05
Updated: 9 Oct 24

This slow roasted pork recipe is a perfect centrepiece for a Sunday lunch or dinner party. If you don’t have any quince, you could use a sharp eating apple, like a Granny Smith.

Easy
November 2005

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6
Takes 30 minutes to make, 1 hour 40 minutes-2 hours to cook

This slow roasted pork recipe is a perfect centrepiece for a Sunday lunch or dinner party. If you don’t have any quince, you could use a sharp eating apple, like a Granny Smith.

Gluten-free recipes

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 841kcals
Fat: 59.3g (20.9g saturated)
Protein: 54.7g
Carbohydrates: 22.4g (7.4g sugar)
Salt: 2.9g

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Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1 section pork belly on the bone, weighing about 2.5kg
1 tbsp fine sea salt
2 medium potatoes
2 sprigs fresh sage or rosemary, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 quinces or tart eating apples, such as Granny Smith
Juice of ½ lemon
2 medium onions, quartered
100ml cider or dry white wine
1 tbsp butter

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Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/fan180C/gas 6. Lightly grease a roasting tray with olive oil. Score the skin (crackling) of the belly all over (I use a Stanley knife) and rub the salt into the skin, not the flesh. Slice the potatoes to 2cm thick and lay in the middle of the tray. Scatter the herbs and garlic over the potatoes. Dress with the oil and vinegar and cover with the pork, skin side up. Push any protruding spuds under the belly, so it rests on a bed of snug potatoes. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, then lower the heat to 160C/fan140C/gas 3 and cook for a further 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel, core and quarter the quinces or apples into a large bowl and toss in the lemon juice. Add the onions and set aside. Once the pork has been cooking for 1 hour, add the fruit and onions to the roasting tray, around the joint. Return to the oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until the meat is tender and juicy with a good crackling. Rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes before carving.
Remove the potatoes, fruit and onions from the tray and arrange in a side bowl, covered with foil. Return the tray and its juices to a gentle heat on the hob. Skim off some of the fat, then deglaze the pan with the cider or wine and butter. Season with black pepper, then strain into a jug.

To serve, carve off the crackling in 1 piece, then slice it. Carve the meat off the bone in 1 piece, then slice. Divide between plates and serve with the vegetables, fruit and gravy.

Recipe from November 2005 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 841kcals
Fat: 59.3g (20.9g saturated)
Protein: 54.7g
Carbohydrates: 22.4g (7.4g sugar)
Salt: 2.9g

delicious. tips

Although this slow roast pork belly is best with quince, you can use tart eating apples. Buy an outdoor-reared, well-hung piece of pork belly. It should be dark rather than pale pink and not soft or flabby. This is great served with lentils and chopped parsley.