Pork & gammon
Spiced pork belly with rhubarb, apple and ginger
The belly's thick layer of fat keeps the pork nice and tender as it cooks. The rhubarb and ginger cut well through the richness of the meat. This goes well with roasted carrots and wilted spinach mixed together with a gently warmed tin of cook white beans (cannellini or haricot are good).
Cook's notes
Remove your meat from the fridge an hour or so before cooking, so it comes up to room temperature before going in the oven. For the best crackling, pat the skin dry with kitchen paper and make sure it is well scored. If it is not crispy enough when the meat is cooked, cut the skin away from the meat in a single piece, then bake or grill until crunchy (the meat will happily sit warm in the meantime).
Ingredients
- 700g pork belly joint
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice
- 300g rhubarb, cut into 3cm pieces
- 1 dessert apple, cored and finely sliced
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 heaped tsp ginger, freshly grated
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- zest and juice of 1 orange
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 220°C/Gas 8.
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Step 2
Put the pork in a baking dish or tin and rub the Chinese five spice over the skin. Season. Pop in the oven for 15 minutes.
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Step 3
Put the rhubarb in a baking dish with the apple, honey, ginger, soy and orange zest and juice. Mix well, then cover with foil.
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Step 4
After the pork has roasted for 15 minutes, turn the heat down to 150°C/Gas 2. Cook the pork and rhubarb for an hour.
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Step 5
Check the rhubarb is tender, then serve with the pork.