What makes traditional pork belly with apples a good choice?
You will enjoy how the sweetness of the fruit balances the salty crackling of the traditional pork belly with apples. It is a very simple method that yields impressive results every time. The ingredients are affordable and easy to find in any local supermarket. Most of the work happens in the oven which leaves you time to relax.
How to cook traditional pork belly with apples
Prepare the pork. Preheat your oven to 220C and pat the skin of the pork belly dry with kitchen paper. Use a sharp knife to score the skin in thin lines without cutting into the meat. Rub plenty of sea salt into the scores to help the skin turn into crisp crackling. Place the meat in a large roasting tin and roast for thirty minutes.
Add the vegetables. Turn the oven temperature down to 160C to cook the meat slowly. Slice the onions into thick wedges and place them around the base of the pork belly. Drizzle the onions with a little olive oil and add the fresh thyme. Continue roasting for another sixty minutes to let the fat render down.
Add the apples. Core the apples and cut them into thick quarters. Place the apple pieces in the roasting tin with the onions and pork. The fruit will soften and soak up the juices from the traditional pork belly with apples. Roast everything for another forty minutes until the meat is tender and the apples are soft.
Rest and serve. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and let the meat rest for ten minutes before carving. This resting time allows the juices to settle and makes the meat easier to slice. Serve the pork belly slices with the roasted apples and onions on the side. Pour any remaining juices from the tin over the plate for extra flavour.
My best tips for traditional pork belly with apples
For the best crackling on your traditional pork belly with apples, make sure the skin is as dry as possible before it goes into the oven. You can leave the meat uncovered in the fridge for a few hours to help dry out the surface. Scoring the skin deeply but carefully is the secret to even crispness across the whole top. Choose firm apples like Braeburn or Cox that will hold their shape during roasting. If the skin is not quite crisp enough at the end, you can turn up the heat for the final five minutes. Let the meat rest properly so that every slice remains juicy and tender.
The onions and apples will create a natural sauce in the pan which tastes great with mashed potatoes. This dish also works well with a side of steamed greens to balance the richness.
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scallops in white wine sauce,
chicken meatballs in curry sauce or
pan-fried entrecôte.
