Slow Roast Pork Belly with Orange and Cloves

I love food, which you may have already guessed from my blog. A big part of what I love though is the planning and preparing food. I find it relaxing to finger through my loved recipe books, gazing at the beautiful photography; possibly but not always with the intention of choosing something for a particular event.

This is what I am found doing at the moment, and the event is Christmas. I do like Turkey but have found this is often on offer at work or church do's so I like to explore other Christmas feasts in my own kitchen. One year I tried Duck a la Orange, I discovered I should not have basted the duck & orange sauce juices over the duck...turned out this was a la horrible. More successful year was Cider Spiced Ham, my Hubba liked it so much it has even made its way to the in-laws Christmas table.

So, what to do this year....?

Well as we all know, Christmas can be hectic which is such a shame and really not the point. So I was delighted to test another recipe for the fabulous Vanessa again. 

Vanessa is following her dream, and in the meantime making many a thankful foodie's dream recipe book. Vanessa has given herself a year to publish a book, and has blogged about it from the beginning. Prepped  www.prepped.co.uk Fabulous recipes for the Time Short Foodie.

Prepped will be out in May 2011, and her publishers are so pleased with the project that they have even pursued Vanessa to write a second book. 

The recipe in question for a time-short Christmas day is Slow Roast Pork Belly with Orange and Cloves. This slowly roasting for 5 to 6 hours, perfect for opening presents, visiting family or going to church.

When I cook this again I will turn the heat up for the last 30min as this is what will make the skin change to tasty crackling. My photo doesn't really do it justice as it tasted fabulous, the Hubba loved it and it gave such a lovely festive smell through the house. See Vanessa's blog for a more scrumcious photo: RECIPE TESTER REQUEST Slow Roast Belly of Pork with Orange and Cloves

Roast pork belly with Orange and Cloves

6 cloves garlic 15 Cloves Peel from 1 orange 1 cinnamon stick

1.5 kg Pork belly 2 tbs Sea salt 1 glass of orange juice 1tsp sugar

1. Preheat your oven to full whack, it should be at least 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7
2. On a roasting tin place the unpeeled garlic cloves, the orange peal, ½ of the cloves and the cinnamon stick under where the pork will be.
3. Make sure the pork skin is scored (it’s much easier to ask the butcher to do this). Rub the underside with half the salt and rub the other half in to the skin.
4. Press the remaining 7 / 8 cloves into the skin and pop it into the oven.  Drop the heat to 300/150/ Gas mark 2
5. Cook for about 5 – 6 hours on this low heat. 
6. Remove from the heat and take the meat out of the pan, and set to one side to rest.  Strain the juice into a pan and add the orange juice and sugar.  Boil this for 2 / 3 minutes effectually reducing the liquid and concentrating the taste of the sauce.
7. Slice the pork, drizzle with the sauce and Vanessa loves to serve hers with pan-fried potatoes and rosemary. 

This is the recipe as I tested it, apart from I turned the heat up to about 240 for the last 30min to change the skin to crackling. When the recipe is out in print there may be some changes.

When I tested this recipe I used the spare time to make some Fiery Tomato Chutney as foodie gifts for Christmas. This is delicious with Edam and other cheeses for Christmas. I will blog the recipe next week, as I am going to Fast from all blogging for a week from today.

Hope you are all well and enjoy planning your Christmas menu's!

Liz x