Pork Belly with Plum Glazed Pears And Cabbage

Prep time: 15 minutes  

Cooking time: 2½ hours

Serves: 4 

Ingredients:

• 700-900g Pork Belly  
• 4 Corella Pears 
• ¼ Savoy Cabbage  
• 210ml Plum Sauce 
• 150g Shredded Kale  
• 1 Lemon 
• 1 Tbsp Caramelised Balsamic  
• 1 Pinch Ground Cinnamon  
• Salt
• Pepper 
• 1 Tsp Fennel Seeds  
• Olive Oil   

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.

2. Begin by patting the pork belly dry and scoring the skin using a sharp knife. Drizzle it with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Rub this seasoning mixture all over the skin and flesh. Place the pork on a tray lined with parchment paper, skin side down, and let it roast in the oven for 1 hour.

3. While the pork is roasting, quarter the pears and place them in a bowl. Add the plum sauce, caramelized balsamic, cinnamon, fennel seeds, lemon zest, and the juice from half a lemon. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil. Mix well and set this pear marinade aside. Also, cut the cabbage into 2cm wedges and set it aside.

4. Once the hour is up, remove the pork from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200°C. Remove any excess fat from the tray, keeping the parchment paper in place.

5. Now, add the cabbage and pears to the tray. Drizzle some of the plum-pear marinade over the cabbage and toss it well to ensure even coating. Place the pork back on top, this time with the skin side up. Return the entire tray to the oven and continue roasting for another hour.

6. After removing the pork from the oven, set it aside to rest. It should have a beautiful golden brown color with crispy crackling skin.

7. Toss the cabbage and pears once more and continue roasting in the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes.

8. In a frying pan over high heat, drizzle olive oil and quickly sauté the shredded kale for 1 minute. Season it to your taste and transfer it to a platter.

9. Finally, cut the rested pork into 4 pieces and serve it warm alongside the roasted pears, sticky plum cabbage, and sautéed kale.

Tips:

• For optimal crackling, remember to pat the pork belly dry and let it sit uncovered in the fridge overnight. This will help dry the pork skin, resulting in better crackling during roasting.
• If the pears and cabbage become too sticky during roasting, you can add a splash of water or stock to loosen them up.