While Turkey is still the festive favourite for a family Christmas roast, Larkhall Butchers is seeing an increase in demand for something different – from delicious ribs of beef to porchetta. Plus, with an outbreak of avian flu meaning that there could be a shortage of turkeys this year, perhaps it’s time to take a break from tradition.
The team at Larkhall Butchers make a point of serving only the best quality local free range poultry, meats and game, and working with some of the best chefs around. One of their favourites is Masterchef Winner, Ping Coombes, who lives close to Bath and is a regular customer at the butchers.
Pings’ choice for a delicious Turkey alternative is rolled pork belly with Szechuan, black pepper and vintage cider sauce – a recipe created specially for Larkhall Butchers that is inexpensive, forgiving and very tasty!
Seasoning
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbs Szechuan peppercorns
2 tsp five spice powder
2 tbs granulated sugar
2 tbs sea salt
1.7kg – 1.8kg skin on pork belly
10g – 15g sea salt
1 tbs cornflour
Sauce
2 carrots
1 leek
2 skin on medium onions
2 sticks of celery
Pork ribs trimmings from the belly
250ml Vintage cider
900ml chicken stock
1) Toast the black and szechuan peppercorns in a dry pan for a couple of minutes and let them cool before grinding them into powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar.
2) Mix them with the five spice, sugar and salt. Your seasoning for your pork is ready.
3) Place the belly skin side down so the meat side is exposed and the longer edge of the belly is nearest to you. Sprinkle on the seasoning evenly all over the meat.
4) Roll the belly skin side up and tie it up with butcher’s string.
5) Using a clean cloth or kitchen towel, wipe away any moisture or seasoning from the skin. Sprinkle on the sea salt and leave in the fridge uncovered for 24 – 48 hrs to dry out the skin.
6) Take the belly out of the fridge an hour before you want to cook it. Wipe away any moisture on the skin. Set aside.
7) Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
8) Roughly chop the carrots, onions, leek and celery and place in a deep roasting tray. Nestle in the trimmings. Place a grill securely over the top of tray and put your belly on top skin side up
9) Roast for 30 minutes then drop the temperature to 180C fan.
10) Pour 250ml of cider onto the roasting tray and return to the oven for another 15 minutes followed by the chicken stock.
11) Continue to roast the pork belly and the sauce ingredients for another 1 hour.
12) In the last 15 minutes, change your oven setting to fan grill at 220°C.
13) This should make the skin of your belly crackle. Watch carefully as you don’t want to burn the skin. As soon as most or all of the skin has crackled, remove the pork belly and the roasting tray from the oven.
14) Rest the pork for 15 minutes while you finish the sauce.
15) Strain the sauce through a colander onto a saucepan and discard the solids. Skim off the fat sitting ontop of the sauce.
16) Bring the sauce to boil.
17) Dissolve the cornflour with a little cold water to make a slurry. Pour onto the sauce little by little to thicken. You might not need all of the cornflour slurry.
19) Carve the pork and serve with the cider sauce and your choice of side dishes.
TIPS: **The seasoning is great for any kind of meat from ribs to chicken thighs. Triple the recipe and keep seasoning in a jar for future use**