Cider Braised Pork Belly, Apple, Celery and Summer Truffle Mash
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1.4 kg Pork belly cut into portions, blanched, skin scored
- 500 ml Veal or beef stock)
- 600 ml Carrots
- 600 ml Onions
- 6 sticks Celery (roughly chopped)
- 80 g Leek (roughly chopped)
- 80 ml White wine vinegar
- 200 g Tomato trimmings (skin & seeds)
- 100 g Bramley apples (roughly chopped) – inc trim from wedges
- 100 ml Calvados
- 400 ml Dry Cider
- 1 ea Bouquet garni (rosemary, sage, peppercorns & parsley stalks, tied in a muslin parcel)
- 40 g Whole garlic bulbs (cut in half across)
- 200 ml Tomato juice
- 200 ml Apple juice
- 1 Knob Butter – unsalted
- 3 ea Braeburn apples (each cut into 8 wedges, seeds removed), keep trim
Method
In a large thick-bottomed pan, heat a little oil and brown the carrots and onions very well, drain, wipe out the pan, return the carrots, onion and pork pieces to the pan, deglaze with calvados (flambé), add vinegar, reduce to syrup, add cider, reduce by half.
Cover with the stock, add tomato & apple juice, tomato & apple trimmings, bouquet garni, 2 sticks of the chopped celery, leek, and garlic. Cover with a cartouche (a disc of baking paper covering and in contact with the top of the braising liquor) and place in a low oven (140oC) for approx. 2 hours.
Pan roast the apple pieces and 4 sticks of chopped celery. Set aside.
Remove pot from the oven, allow to cool until just warm, remove the meat, strain the braising liquor into a separate pan, squeeze as much liquor from the braising vegetables as possible (check consistency & seasoning, if you need to thicken do so with a little corn flour added slowly over heat).
Pour liquor over meat, add a knob of butter, add sauté apple wedges and celery, reheat for 10-15 minutes, and serve.
