Twice-cooked pork belly with an onion & apple velouté

Twice-cooked pork belly with an onion & apple velouté

Gordon Ramsay keeps the cost of entertaining down by working his magic on a cheap cut of meat

Difficulty and servings

For the keen cook

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 4 hrs

plus overnight pressing
Freezable

Method

  1. 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. Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 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.
Try

Get ahead

This recipe is designed to be prepared ahead so that in the restaurants we can put it together in minutes when a dish comes on order. The pork can be poached in the fat, pressed, then kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for a month. The carrots can be boiled and drained the day before, ready to be coloured in the pan, and the onion velouté can be completely made ahead the day before ready to be reheated on the day.

Salting

The longer you leave the pork salted before cooking, the more flavour it will have. If you can, salt the pork the night before poaching and leave it in the fridge, but wipe off all the salt and brine that comes off the pork before cooking or it will be too salty.

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.

Try it with duck

To prepare a classic confit of duck, follow the same method using duck legs instead of the pork and only poach them in the fat for 2 hrs until the meat is very tender. To serve, crisp them up in the oven in exactly the same way.

PER SERVING

820 kcalories, protein 49g, carbohydrate 19g, fat 61 g, saturated fat 25g, fibre 4g, sugar 16g, salt 3.3 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2009.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Jill

    15 March 2009

    Jill rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

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

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  • Binder photo stellababe

    13 April 2009

    stellababe rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo 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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  • Binder photo 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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  • Binder photo Kyra

    02 August 2009

    Kyra rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo 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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  • Binder photo Ali

    27 September 2009

    Ali rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    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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  • Binder photo stilton12

    11 October 2009

    stilton12 rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    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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  • Binder photo Donkey

    13 November 2009

    Donkey 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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  • Binder photo Donkey

    13 November 2009

    Donkey rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo mrsw

    14 March 2010

    mrsw rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo mrsw

    04 April 2010

    mrsw commented on this recipe

    Totally worth it! Pork was lovely, but the real star for us was the veloute! Any excuse for making it, you could almost eat it as soup! Children also really enjoyed the whole dish so it was brilliant.

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  • Binder photo Oliver

    01 May 2010

    Oliver commented on this recipe

    Amazing dish, the fat on the meat comes out crispy and chewy in places, whilst soft and melting in others. Goes really well with Garlic-fried green beans. A definite must for any food lover.

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  • Binder photo Thomas Wilkie

    13 July 2010

    Thomas Wilkie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This a 5 star meal with a very cheap cut of meat. A wonderful idea for a special meal. Can be prepared weeks in advance.

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  • Binder photo RoxyFreeman

    07 September 2010

    RoxyFreeman rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Make it, you won't regret it, it's heavenly and foolproof! You don't need to be precise with quantities and times to get a great result. I love it with braised red cabbage.

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  • Binder photo Martha

    23 November 2010

    Martha rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I just agree with everyone else - this recipe is 5 star - really worth the time - the flavour is gorgeous - the meat succulent and the crackling is the best. Will definitely do again. Thanks Gordon.

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  • Binder photo KevanF

    28 November 2010

    KevanF commented on this recipe

    Just did this but with pork belly strips and I guess I need to adjust the cooking times! But it's still the best crackling ever! The veloute is very good but am wondering whether it would be even better with a dash or three of calvados! Nice one Gordon

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  • Binder photo Declan

    05 January 2011

    Declan rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Leonora

    30 March 2011

    Leonora rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Wow! I made this last night, and have gleefully squirreled it away until my foodie friends arrive here in France, next week. I often wondered how they produce fantastic roast pork, to order, in small, smart restaurants - this is how! It is easy to prepare, and belly pork is still relatively inexpensive. All you need is three hours at home, whilst it bubbles away in the oven. Three hours well spent! The flavour of corriander & star anise is amazing. Only caveat - be careful carrying the dish filled with pork and oil to the oven - it is heavy. I ruined my best sweater when oil slurped over. Use a good thick apron!

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  • Binder photo Leonora

    30 March 2011

    Leonora commented on this recipe

    I usually try to follow any new recipe exactly. Once it has proved itself, I'll tinker with it. This time, I made one small variation. I bought a whole belly of pork, and asked the butcher to cut it into two. I did not bone it, because I have the thought that there is flavour in the bones -and anyway, I'm too lazy! I rendered down the remaining, (really fat) half- belly, and extracted a two-pint bowl of pork fat. When I saw the recipe, I gave a shout of glee. I had been feeling so guilty about that bowl of saturated fat, lurking in my fridge. But now, here was a really great recipe to justify its use. It was this fat I used to simmer the recipe pork.

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Difficulty and servings

For the keen cook

Serves 6

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 4 hrs

plus overnight pressing
Freezable

Ingredients

FOR THE PORK

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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PER SERVING

820 kcalories, protein 49g, carbohydrate 19g, fat 61 g, saturated fat 25g, fibre 4g, sugar 16g, salt 3.3 g

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