Crackled Pork Belly with Fennel and Apple Slaw is a modern British recipe for a dish of pork belly cooked until the skin is crispy and crackling that's served with mojo verde and a fresh fennel and apple slaw. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Crackled Pork Belly with Fennel and Apple Slaw.
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Pork belly is a very economical cut of meat. Here it’s cooked until the skin is crispy and its served with mojo verde (a vibrant green sauce from Spain’s Canary Islands) and a fresh fennel and apple slaw.
For the slaw:
1 small lemon, zested and juiced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch of chilli flakes
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 fennel bulbs, finely sliced, (reserve the fronds for garnish)
2 small eating apples, (thinly sliced Braeburns work well)
For the mojo verde:
1 large garlic clove
large bunch of coriander leaves
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp sugar
80-100ml olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Method:
Using a pestle and mortar, crush together the fennel seeds, coriander seeds and chilli flakes, then mix the spices into the salt. Sit the pork belly in a roasting tin and slash lines across the skin (about 5mm apart) using a sharp knife. Rub the skin with most of the salt mix, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill, uncovered, overnight.
The following day, pre-heat your oven to 170°C (150°C fan/gas mark 3). Remove the pork from the fridge and scrape off the salt mix. Pat well with kitchen paper to remove any moisture, then re-season with the remaining salt mix.
Place in the centre of your pre-heated oven and roast for 2 hours, then reduce the oven to 150°C (130°C fan/gas mark 2) and continue cooking for a further 60 minutes. Turn the oven up to its highest setting and continue cooking for 15-20 mins or until the skin has crackled. If your pork still hasn’t crackled enough, heat the grill (broiler) to its highest setting. Transfer the pork to a baking tray and grill for 4–5 minutes (watch it to make sure it doesn’t burn). Cover with foil and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
For the slaw, mix together the lemon zest and juice with the olive oil, chilli and some seasoning in a large bowl. Toss the with the shallot, fennel and apple. Top with the reserved fennel fronds, if you like.
For the mojo verde, combine all the ingredients in a blender. Whizz together to form a smooth paste then season to taste.
Slice the pork and served with the slaw and mojo verde. Any leftover pork can be warmed and piled before serving in crusty rolls with the slaw and mojo verde.
