Ingredients
1kg pork belly
skin scored
1 tbsp sea salt
25g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 eschalot
finely diced
2 Granny Smith apples
peeled and cored
1 star anise
1 tsp cinnamon quill
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp sugar
½ cup water
Equipment
- 1 baking tray
- 1 medium saucepan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 240°C (220°C fan-forced). Rub salt into skin of pork belly and place in a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes until skin starts to bubble and crackle.
- Reduce heat to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and cook for a further hour until succulent and tender.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter with oil over gentle heat. Cook eschalot for 4 minutes until soft, being careful not to brown.
- Cut apples into quarters and then each quarter into 3 or 4 wedges. Add to eschalot with spices and sugar. Add 1/2 cup water, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes until apple has softened.
- Cut pork into thick slices and serve with the apple compote on the side.
Notes
Tip
For extra crunchy crackling, boost oven temperature to its highest setting for the last 10 minutes of cooking time, but be careful not to let it burn.
Tip
Any type of cooking apple would be fine in this recipe.
