Belly of Pork with Cider and Rosemary and Bramley Apple and Mustard Sauce

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan) mark 2. Put the pork, skin-side up, into a roasting tin just large enough to hold it. Add the cider, stock and half the rosemary. Bring to the boil on the hob, cover with foil and cook in the oven for 4hr. Leave to cool in the cooking liquid.

2 Strip leaves from the remaining rosemary stalks and chop. Put into a pestle and mortar with the garlic, olive oil, orange and lemon zest, 1tsp salt and 1tbsp muscovado sugar. Pound for 3–4min to make a rough paste. You could use a strong bowl and the end of a rolling pin instead.

3 Remove the pork from the tin, reserving the cooking liquid, and slice off the skin from the top layer of fat. Set aside. Score the fat into a diamond pattern and rub in the rosemary paste. Cover loosely with clingfi lm and chill until required.

4 Pat the pork rind dry with kitchen paper and transfer it (fat-side up) to a foil-lined baking sheet. Cook under a hot grill, about 10cm (4in) away from the heat, for 5min. Turn over, sprinkle lightly with salt, then grill for 7–10min or until crisp. Cool, then cut into rough pieces. Store in an airtight container.

5 Strain cooking liquid into a pan. Add the orange and lemon juice and the remaining 2tbsp sugar, bring to the boil and bubble until reduced by half. Meanwhile, blend the flour and butter to a paste, then whisk into the bubbling liquid. Boil for 4–5min until thickened. Set aside.

6 When almost ready to serve, preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7. Cook the pork uncovered in a roasting tin for 20min until piping hot. Wrap the crackling in foil and warm in the oven for the last 5min of the cooking time. Heat the gravy on the hob. Take the meat to the table, carve the pork and serve with the crackling by the side.

For the sauce
1 Put the apples, lemon zest and 50g (2oz) sugar into a large pan with 300ml (1/2 pint) cold water. Bring to the boil, stirring, then cover and simmer for 10–15min or until the apples are pulpy.
2 Beat the Dijon mustard into the apples with a pinch of salt, but stop when the sauce is still a little rough – don’t continue beating until smooth. Check the seasoning and beat in a little extra sugar to taste. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to two days. Serve warm or cold.