Roast Pork Belly Focaccia with Spiced Apple Chutney

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.

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 170 mins

Total Time 3 hrs 15 mins

Cuisine: British

Courses: Bread & Dough

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4

Calories: 1099

Best Season: All year

Description

Roast pork belly and crisp crackling in rosemary focaccia, with spiced apple chutney, mayonnaise and baby salad leaves.

Ingredients

600 g raw pork belly (skin scored)
1 rosemary and sea salt focaccia (400 g in total, cut into four portions)
2 tbsp mayonnaise
100 g baby salad leaves (nutrition estimated using green leaf salad)
2 cooking apples (400 g after peeling and coring, cut into 1 cm cubes)
1 small onion (75 g prepared, finely chopped)
1 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp clear honey
0.5 tsp salt (for the chutney)
0.5 tsp chilli flakes (1 g)
1 tsp salt (for the pork skin)

Instructions

1
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.
2
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.
3
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.
4
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.
5
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.