BELLY PORK WITH CIDER AND JALAPEÑOS

BELLY PORK WITH CIDER AND JALAPEÑOS

Preparation time: 15 minutes I Cooking time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 carrots, roughly chopped

1 stick celery, roughly chopped

1,5kg belly pork (bone-in is more flavourful)

flaked sea salt

330ml bottle of cider

sprigs of fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

1-2tsp liquid from a jar of Peppadew® Hot Jalapeño Slices and 1tbsp jalapeños

1,5 litres vegetable or chicken stock

Method

Scatter onion, carrots and celery in a high-sided casserole dish. 

Top with the belly pork, skin-side up; season the top with flaked sea salt.

Pour in the cider, add thyme, bay leaves, garlic, liquid from the jar of Jalapeño Slices and jalapeños. Top up with stock until just below the seasoned skin of the pork. Add a little salt to the cooking liquid if your stock is sodium-free.

Cover and place in a 160°C oven for 2½–3 hours. Uncover, turn up the heat to 200°C and cook, watching carefully, until the skin begins to brown and blister. Remove from the oven.

Set aside the pork while you tweak the gravy. Either strain the vegetables out and discard them, or remove the herbs and blitz to make a chunky sauce. Taste for seasoning and add a little more liquid (from the jar) and jalapeño slices to taste.

*Recipe by Peppadew