PULL PORK RECIPE IN OVEN RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to full whack.
  2. Score the pork skin about 1cm deep all over with a sharp knife. Drizzle a little olive oil over the pork and season generously with sea salt, black pepper and the paprika.
  3. Rub the flavours all over the skin, then place your pork in a roasting tray in the middle of the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 160ºC/320ºF/gas 3.
  4. Cook for about 4 hours, basting occasionally with the juices from the tray, then turn the oven down to 150ºC/300ºF/gas 2 and continue to cook for another 2 hours, or until you can pull the meat apart really easily.
  5. Remove the crackling and put it to one side, then remove any fat from the tray. Pull all the pork apart, discarding any bones and fat as you go, and use 2 forks to break the meat into small- and medium-sized pieces. Cover with foil until needed.
  6. To make the coleslaw, finely slice all the veg (peeling and trimming first, if necessary) or use a food processor or box grater, then very finely slice the apples. Put them into a large bowl and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  7. Add the mayonnaise, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of cayenne and the red wine vinegar. Mix everything together until you’ve got a perfect coleslaw texture. Taste and season to perfection.
  8. Pick the mint leaves and finely chop them on a large board. Deseed and finely chop the chilli. Drizzle the olive oil and red wine vinegar all over the chilli and mint and add a good pinch of salt. Add this to the tray of pulled pork and mix it all together.
  9. Serve the dressed pork in a pile on to a plate next to some crackling and a good portion of that wonderful coleslaw. Finish the whole plate off with a little salt and a hit of paprika and tuck in with a lovely cold beer.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to its highest temperature.
  2. Using a Stanley knife, score the skin down to the meat (try not to cut the meat), making the cuts very close together.
  3. Bash the fennel seeds and a good pinch of sea salt in a pestle and mortar to a powder.
  4. Tip the oil over the top of the scored skin, then sprinkle over the fennel mixture, and rub all over so that everything gets into the scores and down into the meat.
  5. Roughly chop the carrots and celery, then throw these into a roasting tray. Break the garlic bulb up into unpeeled cloves, peel and chop the onions into large wedges, then toss into the tray with the thyme sprigs.
  6. Put the seasoned pork belly on top of the vegetables in the tray, then roast for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the skin starts to bubble and turn golden brown.
  7. Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C/325°F/gas 3, and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes. When the time's up, carefully open the oven door and pour in three-quarters of the wine. Cook for 1 further hour.
  8. Remove the meat carefully from the oven and test to see if it pulls apart easily. If not, cook for a little longer. Allow the meat to rest while you make the gravy.
  9. Put the tray of roasted vegetables directly onto your hob over a medium heat add, add the flour, then stir together until thick. Cook for 1 minute then add in the remaining wine – if you sauce is too thick add a splash more wine or water.
  10. Using a potato masher, mash up the vegetables until you have a delicious thick-looking sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat, season to taste, then strain through a sieve into a jug.
  11. Remove the crackling from the top of the belly and break up into pieces, pull the pork belly apart, and serve with the jug of gravy on the side, and a selection of seasonal vegetables.