Crispy Pork Belly with Chargrilled Summer Stone Fruits
Salty-sweet perfection! This needs to be started the day before for optimum super crisped skin.
- 2.4 kg pork belly scored in lines 0.5 cm apart with a Stanley knife (you can ask the butcher to do this part!)
- 2 tbsp of table salt
- 4 onions peeled and quartered
- 1 garlic head, sliced crossways
- 4 ripe peaches, halved, stones removed
- 2 cups chicken stock, warmed
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 10 leaves sage
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 chilies, halved lengthways
- Thyme and sage reserved for garnish
- 2 kg medium Desiree Potatoes, peeled and parboiled for 5 mins, drained and cooled.
- 50 g butter
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Rub a generous amount of table salt into scored lines of the pork belly. Leave on a tray covered in the fridge overnight to dry out.
Take pork out of fridge an hour prior to cooking.
Preheat fan forced oven to 240° Celsius.
Parboil potatoes for 5 minutes.
In a large baking dish, place onions and garlic in an even pile. This will form a base for your pork belly to sit.
Place pork belly on bed of onions and garlic. Place in the top-shelf of the oven and cook for 40 minutes until you see skin crackled.
Whilst pork is cooking, oil a chargrill pan and place peaches cut side down until nice char marks appear. Take off and place to side.
In a jug, combine stock, honey, vinegar, chilli and a generous grind of pepper. Take pan out of oven, then turn the oven down to 180°. Carefully add stock mixture to pan, avoiding the crackled skin so it stays dry. Add thyme, bay leaf and chilies to liquid.
Place tray back in the oven and cook for another 30 minutes.
Remove pork belly from the oven, take peaches and place them around the pork belly, charred side up in the liquid.
Place tray back in oven and cook for 30 minutes – 1 hour, or until meat is tender.
Whilst pork is cooking cut cooled potatoes in half. Place cut side down on a large baking paper lined baking tray. Rough up top of potatoes with a fork. Cut butter into small 1cm squares and place one on each half potato. Scatter sage leaves and drizzle tray with oil. When pork is almost done put potatoes in oven.
Take pork out, remove bay leaf and leave to rest for half an hour.
Whilst pork is resting, turn up the oven to 220°, making sure you ladle the melted butter and oil over the tops of the potatoes a couple of times during their cooking. Cook till they appear golden and crisp.
When crisp, remove potatoes from the oven, sprinkle with salt and serve with pork and peach mixture. Drizzle with pan juices.
