Braised Anstruther Outdoor-Reared Pork Belly with Homegrown Apple & Ginger Puree & Macleods Black Pudding

Jacqueline said: “It’s getting slightly chilly as September approaches. This simple Scottish dish is sure to warm the coldest of hearts! These are particularly happy pigs, reared outdoors on the sunny East Coast. Knowing everything about even the simplest of dishes makes the end product outstanding”.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1-2 kg joint of boned pork belly
(I use free range happy Tamworth. A good butcher will keep you right)
3 ltr chicken or vegetable stock
6 apples (home grown a bonus)
2 sprigs of thyme or rosemary
1 knob fresh ginger

Method
Place the pork joint into a hot roasting pan and seal all the way round. A slow cooker or deep casserole dish is best to use. Add 3 roughly chopped apples, celery, onion & garlic. Pour the hot stock over cover with foil or lid. Braise for 2hrs per 1kg 150-160c. Once cooked remove the skin and grill until crispy. With the fat rendered from the skin, use this to roast the remaining peeled, cored & quartered apple add the rosemary before they go in the oven. 15mins 180c
Strain the cooking liquid and boil to reduce until a good gravy-like consistency.

To serve
Served sliced pork quite thick with the baked apples and gravy. A nice touch is to use a bottle of cider in the stock for an extra appley flavour. Also a slice of Macleods black pudding goes extremely well with both pork & apple.

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