Dinner for Ukraine, dinner with Jamie Oliver on Maundy Thursday several weeks ago, a fund raiser for Cook for Ukraine, the main dish was slow-roast belly pork. It was amazing, as were all the other dishes.
When I last tried this dish, slow-roast belly pork with kraut and dried fruit, I followed the dish by Olia Hercules in Summer Kitchens. Today, try something different.
When look in a butcher, usually see slices of belly pork, rather than a whole piece. I thought try with slices. But, late to butcher, everything packed away. I said what I wanted, was given pork ribs.
Four pork ribs from Redhill farm shop, free range pork.
The night before, prepare a spice mix with which to coat the pork, mix in a bowl, then apply.
- olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- salt
- two crushed garlic cloves
- red wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
- Lincolnshire honey
This would usually be applied to the top of the belly pork. Slices, I am applying to the side.
Pork suspended on celery sticks and long thin carrots.
Leave for an hour or so, then in the fridge overnight, take out an hour or so in the morning before putting in the oven. Fridge was full, I left at ambient temperature overnight.
Fan oven 180C for 15-20 minutes, then turn down the oven to 140C for an hour.
- sauerkraut with carrot
- medium onion
- dried apricots
- dates (or prunes)
- two small apples (or larger apple)
- toasted then crushed coriander, caraway and fennel seeds
Toast coriander, caraway and fennel seeds, then crush. Save for later.
In a frying pan, hot oil, roughly chopped onion until soft and turning brown.
Add to the pan, sauerkraut, dried fruit roughly chopped, toasted crushed seeds, then after five minutes add and mix in thinly sliced apple.
Remove roast pork from baking tin. Tip in contents of frying pan. Nestle pork on top. Fan oven 140C for two hours.
I quickly knocked out a stock, with added water from the pan with new potatoes and fresh peas, added to vacated baking tray and made delicious gravy.
Ideally served with new potatoes. I served with roast potatoes. Par boil potatoes, then in a tin with olive oil doused on top. As I feared, temperature was not hot enough.
Served with Boston new potatoes par boiled then roasted and fresh peas, accompanied by Brew Dog Punk IPA, though I would have preferred a medium sweet red wine from Moldova.
OMG this was good. My first attempt, was excellent, but good as it was, I did not feel as good as what was served by Jamie Oliver, which left me a little disappointed. My second attempt exceeded what we were served at Dinner for Ukraine. But that was with a piece of belly pork, cross cut on top.
How with slices? I was not sure of timing, but decided to keep as with a piece of belly pork. At first I thought burnt, but surprisingly not, succulent and tasty pork. Two to eat, two saved cold to eat another day cold.
I do not know why, this attempt, the pork melted away, cf kleftiko slow-cooked lamb many hours in a wood-fired clay oven.
Obtain the belly pork from a top class family butcher. Ask them to cross hatch score the belly pork or if slices score.
Usually belly pork is sold as slices. I was curious, the same cooking time if I cook four slices? It turned out yes.
What I do not know, the recipe I used from the excellent Summer Kitchen, the same recipe at Dinner for Ukraine?
Very rich as though cooked in wine. I think a combination of factors, fruit, honey, red wine vinegar, slow roasted.
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