Slow Braised Pork Belly

Hermitage Rd’s recipe with images using nurtured in norfolk’s micro cress, edible flowers, edible leaves, herbs, sea veg, pea shoots and micro/baby veg.

Method

For the belly:

Firstly, preheat your oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Next, trim the pork belly of excess fat (you can ask your butcher to do this). Place the pork into a deep oven tray, place the garlic and sage into the tray too. Season the pork evenly. Pour the orange juice and pork stock into the tray, just enough to cover the pork. Place foil over the tray, place into the oven. Cook for about 1 hour 45 minutes, until tender. Depending on thickness, it may take a little longer. Once the pork is ready, take out the oven and leave to cool in the braising liquor. Line a large tray with greaseproof, lift the belly onto the tray, place another sheet of greaseproof over the meat. Place another tray on top, with a weight on (a few of the largest tins you have) Leave in the fridge overnight, cut into portions the next day.

 For the ‘kimchi’:

Place the sliced cabbage in a bowl, add two tablespoons of table salt, massage the salt into the cabbage. Leave the cabbage in a semi warm place for an hour. Pour every other ingredient into another bowl, mix into a paste, dress the salted cabbage with the paste. Chill overnight, as the flavour will only mature.

For the master stock:

Heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large saucepan, add everything but the raw pork bones. Cook for 5 minutes, until the aromas are released. Season the bones, roast in the oven at 180 degrees until evenly browned. Add the roasted bones to the pan, deglaze the roasting tray with hot water. Cover the bones with pork stock, bring to a simmer. Simmer the stock for an hour, until the flavours have fully infused. Take off the heat, cool in the pan, strain the liquid, discarding all the solids. Season to taste.

To serve:

Heat a sauté pan until hot, add the portions of pork belly, colour each side, place into the oven for around 8 minutes. While the pork is cooking, place the two tablespoons of the ‘kimchi’ per portion into a saucepan. Add one tablespoon of the master stock into the pan, cook for 4 minutes until tender. Also place two ladles of the master stock per portion into another separate pan, bring to the simmer, add the bok choy halves, place a lid on the pan. Cook the boy choy until tender, around two minutes. Slice the nashi pear as thin as you can. Now only thing left is to plate up.