Name: Twice-cooked pork belly with pickled apple salad and maple-glazed cabbage
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: 1.2 kg boneless pork belly, fat scored; 1 head of garlic, halved; 4 star anise; 1 bunch thyme; 625 ml (2½ cups) white wine; 300 ml chicken stock; Baked Cabbage; ½ red cabbage, cut into thick wedges; 2 tbsp each maple syrup and apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp cumin seeds; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling; Pickled Apple Salad; 60 ml (¼ cup) apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced; ¼ cup each (loosely packed) micro mint, flat-leaf parsley leaves, and micro red vein sorrel; 50 gm (½ cup) toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

Twice-cooking and pressing this pork belly delivers restaurant-grade crackling. The zingy introduction of pickled apple instead of classic baked or puréed apple takes the iconic pairing from Sunday roast to date night territory. Begin this twice-cooked pork belly recipe a day ahead.

Ingredients

1.2 kg boneless pork belly, fat scored

1 head of garlic, halved

4 star anise

1 bunch thyme

625 ml (2½ cups) white wine

300 ml chicken stock

Baked Cabbage

½ red cabbage, cut into thick wedges

2 tbsp each maple syrup and apple cider vinegar

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Pickled Apple Salad

60 ml (¼ cup) apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 Granny Smith apple, sliced

¼ cup each (loosely packed) micro mint, flat-leaf parsley leaves, and micro red vein sorrel

50 gm (½ cup) toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 120°C fan-forced. Season pork belly and drizzle with oil. Place garlic, star anise and thyme in centre of a small, deep-sided tray and sit pork belly on top, skin-side up. Pour in 500ml wine, then cover with foil. Cook until pork has cooked through (1¼ hours). Remove pork from tray and transfer to a separate tray. Place another tray on top and weigh down with cans to flatten. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.

Meanwhile, add remaining 125ml wine to baking tray and deglaze for 5 minutes. Pour in stock and bring to a simmer. Use back of a spoon to squash garlic into sauce. Simmer until sauce has thickened (10 minutes). Strain through a fine sieve into a jug and set aside; keep warm.

Increase oven to 200°C fan-forced. For baked cabbage, place cabbage on a tray lined with baking paper. Mix remaining ingredients in a small jug. Drizzle over cabbage and bake until slightly charred (25 minutes).

To finish cooking pork, change oven to grill and preheat to 200˚C. Use a sharp knife to cut pork into desired portions. Place a rack over a tray and place pork on top. Grill on top rack until rind has crackled and pork is heated through (20-25 minutes).

For pickled apple salad, whisk vinegar and maple syrup until dissolved. Add apple and allow to pickle for 10 minutes. Drain and toss through micro herbs and walnuts.

Serve pork with roasted cabbage, pan sauce and pickled apple salad.