Roasted Pork Belly with Orange & Star Anise

Recipe for: PORK – ROASTED BELLY with ORANGE & STAR ANISE

Ingredients:

·        5 oranges, halved

·        Bunch thyme, leaves picked, roughly chopped

·        Bunch rosemary, roughly chopped

·        Head of garlic, cloves peeled & chopped

·        100ml olive oil

·        2-3kg pork belly joint, rind on

·        Coarse sea salt & black pepper

·        2/3 bottle of white wine

·        For the star anise reduction:

o   500ml orange juice

o   180ml balsamic vinegar

o   160g honey

o   10 star anise

Method:

1.      Heat oven to highest

2.      Arrange orange halves on a baking tray, cut side up

3.      Put herbs, garlic and oil in food processor and blitz roughly

4.      Lay pork on top of oranges, skin side down

5.      Sprinkle with salt and pepper

6.      Using your hands spread the herb mixture evenly all over the upward-facing side of the joint, pressing so it sticks

7.      Turn the joint over so it’s now skin-side up

8.      Wipe skin dry with kitchen towel and sprinkle with sea salt

9.      Roast at full blast for 60 minutes, turning the tray round half way through

10.   Turn heat down to 160C

11.   Pour white wine into base of baking tray

12.   Roast for another 60 minutes

13.   If skin begins to blacken, cover with foil

14.   Turn oven right down to 110C

15.   Roast for another hour, uncovered until skin has crackled & thoroughly dried

16.   Meanwhile prepare the star anise reduction:

a.      Put ingredients in a small pan & stir over medium heat

b.      Simmer for 45-60 minutes until sauce is thick &reduced to one third

c.      Remove from heat & keep warm

17.   Remove meat from the oven and allow to rest before carving into chunks

18.   Dot with oranges & star anise, pouring on a little of the reduction