A very basic but quite effective recipe from Waitrose Food Illustrated .
Planning
| serves: | 4 |
| preparation time: | 10 mins |
| cooking time: | 2 hrs |
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork belly, skinned, fat trimmed & cubed (2cm)
- 2 large onions, peeled & finely sliced
- 1 tbs thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 500ml dry cider
- 1½ tsp mustard
- salt & pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas 2.
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large, heavy casserole over a medium-low heat and cook the onions in it, stirring frequently, until very soft but not brown (about 15 mins). Meanwhile, brown the pork cubes in a frying pan and olive oil, seasoning them as you go. Add the pork, together with any accumulated juices, to the softened onions and stir well. Add the thyme, bay leaf and cider (which should just cover the meat). Bring to the boil, cover the casserole then transfer it to the oven. Cook it for 1¾ – 2 hours.
Taste the juices, season to taste and stir in the mustard. Serve with mashed potato to soak up the juices.
Now look, what proper chef would waste the browning from the pork?
JC’s amendment:
Brown the pork first in the same casserole as you intend to cook it in. Then soften the onions in the same pan. The onions will deglaze the gooey brown pork residue and the flavour will be added to the dish rather than being wasted. I also like to add a rib or two of celery with the onions.
You save on the washing up, too! 😉