Slow roasting gives pork belly time to become tender, while a hotter finish turns the skin into crisp crackling. Tucked into rosemary focaccia with mayonnaise and fresh leaves, it makes a substantial sandwich. The apple chutney brings a sharp, sweet counterpoint, with ginger and a little chilli adding warmth.
Dry skin is the starting point for good crackling, so take care when patting the pork dry and keep any water beneath the roasting rack. Make the chutney while the meat cooks, then let the pork rest before slicing. The recipe leaves you with extra chutney for another meal—a useful bonus after the sandwiches have disappeared.
Roast Pork Belly Focaccia with Spiced Apple Chutney
Description
Roast pork belly and crisp crackling in rosemary focaccia, with spiced apple chutney, mayonnaise and baby salad leaves.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Pat the pork skin thoroughly dry and rub the skin with its measured salt. Heat the oven to 220°C, 200°C fan. Set the pork skin-side up on a rack in a roasting tin.
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Roast for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven to 160°C, 140°C fan. Cook for about 2 hours, until the meat is tender. Keep the skin dry and add a little water beneath the rack if the tin begins to catch.
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If the skin needs more crisping, raise the oven to 220°C, 200°C fan, for 10 to 20 minutes, watching closely. Rest the pork for 15 minutes before slicing.
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Put the apples, onion, ginger, vinegar, honey and chutney salt into a saucepan. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until spoonably thick. Stir in the chilli flakes and leave to cool. Weigh the finished chutney and adjust to 500 g by cooking a little longer or stirring in water. Use 100 g for the four sandwiches, reserving the remainder.
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Warm the focaccia in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Split the four portions and spread the bases with mayonnaise. Add leaves, sliced pork, broken crackling and 25 g chutney per sandwich, then replace the tops.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 1098.8535kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 92.640171g143%
- Saturated Fat 30.275371g152%
- Cholesterol 111.933mg38%
- Sodium 1265.0418mg53%
- Potassium 469.834mg14%
- Total Carbohydrate 42.328238g15%
- Dietary Fiber 2.48209g10%
- Sugars 6.911961g
- Protein 23.313972g47%
- Calcium 54.4206 mg
- Iron 4.23343 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Allow 15 minutes resting. Reserve the surplus chutney for another meal.
Nutrition is an estimate per serving, based on the stated weights. Optional garnishes, accompaniments and extra seasoning are excluded. Brands and preparation can change the figures. Includes 25 g chutney per sandwich. The estimate includes all the fat in the raw pork; fat discarded during roasting will reduce the amount eaten.
