OVEN SLOW COOKED PORK RECIPES

Steps:

• This works great as a stand-alone recipe, but also as a component in Jamie’s Taco Party from Together – see the full collection of menus here. GET AHEAD Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Tear the bay leaves into a pestle and mortar (discarding the stalks), and pound into a mush. Muddle in the spices and 1 teaspoon each of sea salt and black pepper, then loosen with a little olive oil so you can rub it all over the pork belly (leaving the skin as it is for now). Sit the belly in a snug-fitting roasting tray, cover tightly with tin foil and roast for 2 hours. Remove, cool and refrigerate overnight. ON THE DAY Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Season the piece of pork skin with a pinch of salt and pepper, then lay on a baking tray and roast at the top of the oven for 1 hour, or until golden and crunchy. Transfer the pork belly to a board, slice 1cm thick, then lay across a large baking tray (reserving the tray of juices for my Black beans & cheese. Roast the pork for 30 minutes, or until crisp, sizzling and golden. Carefully drain off any fat from the crackling tray and save in a jar for tasty cooking another day, then snap up the crackling. Serve up at the table with all the sides, ready for taco building.

Steps:

• Heat half of the oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan, or flameproof casserole dish, and fry the pork pieces over a medium high heat in batches until seared all over, then transfer to a plate. Add another 1 tbsp oil to the pan, if you need to, while you’re cooking the batches. Once all the pork is seared, transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add another 1 tbsp oil to the pan with a little butter and fry half the leeks with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until tender. Add the garlic, fry for a minute, then stir in the flour.
• Pour in the cider, a little at a time, stirring to pick up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and to combine everything. Add the stock, bay leaves and seared pork, then simmer, half-covered with a lid for 1-1½ hrs until the meat is just tender (it will later cook to the point of falling apart in the oven). Can be prepared a day ahead.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the sauce, if you need to – it shouldn’t be too liquid or the potatoes will sink into the sauce. Stir in the parsley, chopped sage, remaining leeks, and the cream, then season well.
• Peel both types of potatoes and cut into slices 2mm thick, by hand or using a mandoline. Alternate layers of potato and sweet potato in circles over the pie, or randomly, if you prefer. Dot the cubed butter over the top and bake for 1-1½ hrs until the potato is tender. Nestle in the whole sage leaves, brushed in a little oil, for the last 10 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins before serving.