Roast pork belly with apple in coconut milk
pork:
3lb pork belly boned rind on
3 tbsp chinese 5 spice powder
15 small bay leaves
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp sea salt
apple compote:
1 oz unsalted butter
⅓ cup sugar
3 grannysmith apples peeled and cut into a ½” dice
½ cup dried black currents
½ cup cassis or port wine
½ cup coconut milk
pork:
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
Make ½” deep incisions through the rind in ½” intervals widthwise across the pork to allow the flavours to penetrate into the meat. Lightly oil the entire surface of the pork with sunflower oil to help adhere the spice mixture. Rub the spice over the top and bottom of the pork pushing the spice into the slits. Sprinkle the sugar over the top and bottom in the same manner then place the bay leaves into the slits and pressing to the bottom of the pork. Place rind side up onto a metal rack with a baking sheet underneath. Roast in the oven for 3-31/2hrs or until the core temperature at the center of the roast reaches 160 degrees. Remove and let rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
apple compote:
Heat a frying pan on medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and butter and cook for 1 minute swirling to moisten the sugar. Add the apple and toss. Cook for 6-7 minutes to soften the apple. Add the currents and the cassis. Reduce right down until the apple absorbs all the liquid now add the coconut milk and reduce until dry also.
assembly:
Slice the pork widthwise cutting through the slits representing each portion. Place onto each plate and add a spoon of the apple compote. Garnish and serve.
