Ingredients

For the Belly:
1x Belly from a sow, skinned and trimmed
Cure:
100g Salt
150g Sugar
3g Mustard powder
6 Corriander seeds, crushed
6 White peppercorns, crushed
Braising liquor:
6x Garlic heads, halved
4x Carrots, 2cm dice
4x Onions, 2cm dice
11x Lamb jus
750g Chcken stock
20g Thyme
For the Apple and Vanilla Puree:
400g Granny Smith apples, peeled and fine sliced
20g Sugar
4g Salt
1 quater of Vanilla Pod

Method

Pork Belly:
Prepare the pork belly removing all skin, bone and gristle. Mix up the cure and cover both sides of the belly with all the mixture, placing in a deep tray to catch the excess. Leave this for 18 hours in the fridge, and then wash well for 1 hour under a cold tap.
Roll the belly across its shortest side (so it’s as long as it could be) with the fat side out (where the skin has been removed from). Tie using a butcher’s slipknot every 3cm so the belly is very tight and won’t unroll. Cut it into two at the middle point between two knots. Dry well and seal in a little oil to get good caramelisation all over, and then chill.
Next make the braising liquor. Roast the garlic, carrots and onions hard with plenty of colour in an induction pan for 5 minutes. Add the jus and stock then simmer for 15 minutes. Finally add the thyme and leave to cool to room temperature before passing through a fine sieve into two large vacuum pack bags. Chill this braising liquor in the bags in the fridge until it has set.
Add the pork to the bags and vacuum pack fully. Place into a Clifton Water Bath filled with cold water and turn on to 82ºC. Cook for 48 hours and then turn off the bath and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cool enough to hold, chill the bellies in the bags until cold through.
Remove the bellies, cut off the string and portion in to 110g pieces. Re-vac and these portions can be kept as mise en place for up to 7 days.
For service: Place into a 28L Clifton Water Bath set at 50ºC to re-generate. After 20 minutes the meat is ready to be finished, but can remain at this temperature for hours without spoiling. Remove from the bag and dry. Season with sea salt and seal for 30 seconds – 1 minute to achieve a perfect roasted flavour and colour. Serve immediately.
For the Apple and Vanilla Puree:
Place the finely sliced apple, sugar, salt and vanilla into a vacuum bag. Seal tight and place in a Clifton Water Bath set at 85ºC for 1 hour, then remove the vanilla pod and puree immediately. Pass through a fine sieve and chill, this can be kept as mise en place for the day.

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