Apple & onion pork belly served with poached pears in Traditional Dry Cider

Ingredients

  • 2kg pork belly
  • 3 Armagh Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices
  • 2 medium onions, sliced
  • 350ml Mac Ivors Traditional Dry cider
  • 100ml water
  • 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
  • 4 pears, peeled, cored and quartered
  • 2 sprig thyme
  • 2 sprigs sage
  • 2 peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1L chicken stock
  • Salt & pepper to season

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 240C/220C (fan)/Gas 9
  • Dry the pork belly skin with kitchen paper. Mix some thyme, salt & pepper in a bowl. Rub this mix all over the pork and skin.
  • Place the pork on a baking tray and roast for 25-30 mins until the skin is crisp then reduce to 180C/150C (fan)/Gas 4 and cook for another hour.
  • Mix the apples and onions, sprig of sage and a little black pepper and arrange in the middle of a small roasting tin.
  • Remove the pork from the oven and place it on top of the apple & onion mix, covering the mix so it doesn’t burn. Return pork to the oven and roast for another hour.
  • Place the cider in a pot and add the water, caster sugar, sage, thyme & bay leaf. Heat on gentle temperature until sugar dissolves.
  • Add the quartered pears and poach gently in the liqueur for 20 minutes or until tender.
  • Remove the pears and leave to the side. With the remaining liquid, turn heat up and boil until it reduces by half.
  • Add the chicken stock and reduce to ¾.
  • When the pork is perfectly tender season to taste and serve along with the apple and onion mix, the pears on the side and dress with the chicken and cider stock.