Apple Cider Pork Belly

Today is apple cider day! We all know pork and apples are a classic combination. Our apple cider pork belly will give you beautiful succulent and tender pork with crispy crackling - plus it's extremely easy with a quick preparation time. It will make you come back for seconds!

Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 3 hours
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 5kg piece pork belly, rind scored
• 1 green apple, sliced
• 375ml bottle dry apple cider
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tsp light olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• Approx. 400ml chicken stock

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220C.
2. To prepare pork, lay sliced apple over base of a baking dish, just big enough to fit pork. Pour over cider.
3. Rub pork rind with juice, oil and salt. Sit on top of apple in dish. Add enough stock to come two thirds of the way up the pork.
4. Roast for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 170C and roast for about a further 2½ -3 hours or until pork is very tender. Add a little more stock if it evaporates during cooking.
5. Remove pork from dish and place on an oven tray.
6. Strain cooking juices into a saucepan. Simmer until thickened to form a gravy. Season.
7. To finish pork, cook rind-side up, under a medium grill, on lowest shelf, until crackling is golden, crisp and bubbling. Slice thickly.
   
8. Serve pork with gravy and a selection of your favourite vegetables.