Twice-cooked pork belly with an onion & apple velouté

Recipe uploaded by

Gordon Ramsay

6 ratings

Recipe by Gordon Ramsay

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1. Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. With a pestle and mortar, crush the coriander seeds with the star anise, then stir through the salt. Season the pork on both sides with the salt mix. Place the pork, skin side up, in an ovenproof dish that is just large enough to hold it. Scatter over the herbs, then leave overnight if you have time - see tip, below.
2. Empty the goose fat into a saucepan and heat until liquid and starting to simmer. Ladle the fat over the pork; add sunflower oil to cover if you need to. Cover the dish with foil, then cook the pork in the oven, undisturbed, for 3 hrs by which time it will be very tender.
3. Remove the dish from the oven and leave it to settle for 10 mins. Meanwhile, line a tray with a piece of greaseproof paper. Carefully lift the pork from the fat and pick off any herbs. Lay it on the paper, skin side down. Cut another piece of paper and lay it over the pork. Cover with a tray, weighed down with a couple of cans, and leave in fridge overnight - see tip, below.
4. When you are ready to cook the pork, heat oven to 220C/ fan 200C/ gas 7. Remove pork from the tray, then peel away paper. Lightly score the skin into neat diamonds with a sharp knife and trim the edges so you get a perfect rectangle.
5. To cook the pork, heat a drizzle of oil in a large non-stick ovenproof pan. Lay the pork, skin side down, and leave for a few mins to crackle, then place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and check to see that the skin has blistered, then carefully flip it over and cook the underside for 3 mins just to heat through. Lift to a board.
6. While the pork is roasting, make the velouté. Heat the butter in a frying pan. Cook the onions and apples for 8-10 mins until soft, but not coloured. Pour in the stock and simmer for 8 mins until the apples start to collapse. Stir in the cream, then simmer everything for 2 mins more. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully tip into a blender, blitz until as smooth as possible, then tip into a saucepan so it's ready to be reheated.
7. Boil the carrots for 2 mins in salted water, then drain well. Heat the olive oil, then fry the carrots with seasoning for 5 mins, tossing occasionally until starting to brown. Gently reheat the velouté. You're now ready to plate up.
8. Use a sharp knife to carve the pork into long slices about 2cm thick. Lay 2 or 3 slices on each plate, slightly overlapping. Put 3 or 4 carrots on each plate, lying all in the same direction as the pork. Spoon a puddle of velouté over the end of the carrots. Garnish with a sprig of parsley.

Confit

This method of slow cooking in fat is known as 'confit' and although you start by cooking in lots of fat, you actually render the fat out of the meat so that the finished dish is a lot leaner than simply roasting. The leftover fat will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month or can be frozen for 6 months ready to make the recipe again. The fat is delicious when used for roasting and frying.

PER SERVING

820 kcalories, protein 49g, carbohydrate 19g, fat 61 g, saturated fat 25g, fibre 4g, salt 3.3 g

Latest comments and suggestions

• Jill

  15 March 2009

  Jill rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Well worth the effort. Does not need anything else with it other than the carrots and onion and apple veloute.

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• stellababe

  13 April 2009

  stellababe rated this recipe

  

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• Debbies food

  14 April 2009

  Debbies food commented on this recipe

  I live in SW France so potrine de porc is easy to fine. I have a gite and often cook for my guests. I have cooked this recipe three times now and it is absolutely fantastic. My guests at Easter loved it and the compliments kept flowing. I did do mashed potatoes with spring onions stirred through as well and this made it even better.

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• stellababe

  10 July 2009

  stellababe commented on this recipe

  I've now made this twice and it's so easy and good for "get ahead" as you can freeze then just defrost and crisp and shove in the oven. I used this once for a roast dinner and the compliments kept coming, the chap who loved it the most always orderd pork belly and said mine was by far the best - even better than the blue strawberry (local good restaurant). When I did the carotts and apple and onion veloute I also served potatoes, new buttered. I have now come to the conclusion the apple and onion veloute is not punchy enough for my family, too oniony maybe? We now don't bother and use good old fashioned apple sauce! It is delicious though and for such a cheap cut of meat gotta be a credit crunch favourite! Enjoy!!!!

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• Kyra

  02 August 2009

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• Julie Gates

  12 August 2009

  Julie Gates commented on this recipe

  Go Gordon - this is fab. I have made this some 3-4 times and my husband (who believed he could not eat pork) is truly converted. A really easy recipe, and freezes well after the 'con fit' stage. Try this one too - Take a half shoulder of lamb, rubbed with oil, salt and pepper and stuffed with chopped garlic. Place on a bed of rosemary, in a tin and wrap tightly in foil. Cook on low (140°) for 4 hrs. Tale out and rest for further 20 mins and then peel back top layer of fat to reveal lovely moist flaky melt-in-the-mouth lamb. Flake with fork and serve piled up next to roasties and Mediterranean veg! Lovely

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• Ali

  27 September 2009

  Ali rated and commented on this recipe

  

  I have lost count of the times I have made this recipe. It is the most wonderful roast I have ever tasted. My children ask for it time and time again!! The apple and onion veloute is also delicious and well worth making. The goose fat is quite costly so I save it and stick it in the freezer for next time!

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• stilton12

  11 October 2009

  stilton12 rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Loved it myself, but wife doesn't like fat. So this family shall enjoy it no more, unless there's a change in circumstances!!

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• Savvy?

  13 November 2009

  Savvy? commented on this recipe

  Fantastic. I cooked this for a dinner party and my guests haven't stopped raving on about it. It is suprisingly lean and 'unfatty' once cooked and it is now a favorite. It's cheap (apart from the goose fat but that is re-usable) and it is absolutley delicious. The actual prep is minimal. It takes a little while in the oven but it is well worth it, and the ability to cook it the day before and simply crisp it up and warm through before serving is great. It means you can go and slurp some wine with your guests without slaving away in the kitchen. I can guarantee I will be cooking this again and again.

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• Savvy?

  13 November 2009

  Savvy? rated this recipe

  

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Ingredients

FOR THE PORK

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 star anise
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• ½ a whole pork belly , about 1.5kg (ask for the thin half), boned, skin left on but not scored
• handful thyme
• handful rosemary
• 2 x 350g jars goose fat (or use lard, sunflower or vegetable oil)
• 6 curly parsley sprigs

FOR THE ONION & APPLE VELOUTE

• 25g butter
• 4 onions , finely chopped
• 2 Granny Smith apples , cored and sliced
• 250ml chicken stock
• 142ml tub double cream

FOR THE CARROTS

• 24 thin green-topped carrots , trimmed, peeled, but left whole
• 2 tbsp olive oil

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Difficulty and servings

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 30 mins

Cook min 4 hrs

Ingredients

FOR THE PORK

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 star anise
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• ½ a whole pork belly , about 1.5kg (ask for the thin half), boned, skin left on but not scored
• handful thyme
• handful rosemary
• 2 x 350g jars goose fat (or use lard, sunflower or vegetable oil)
• 6 curly parsley sprigs

FOR THE ONION & APPLE VELOUTE

• 25g butter
• 4 onions , finely chopped
• 2 Granny Smith apples , cored and sliced
• 250ml chicken stock
• 142ml tub double cream

FOR THE CARROTS

• 24 thin green-topped carrots , trimmed, peeled, but left whole
• 2 tbsp olive oil

PER SERVING

820 kcalories, protein 49g, carbohydrate 19g, fat 61 g, saturated fat 25g, fibre 4g, salt 3.3 g

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