Pork belly with cherry BBQ sauce
1.6kg piece pork belly, rind scored at 1cm intervals
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbs sea salt
1 orange, juiced
Cherry barbecue sauce
2 tsp olive oil
1 French shallot, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
120g (3/4 cup) frozen pitted sour cherries or frozen pitted cherries
180ml (3/4 cup) tomato sauce
80ml (1/3 cup) apple cider vinegar
70g (1/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
1 tbs golden syrup
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot English mustard
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 fresh bay leaf
Place the pork on a plate. Rub 1 tsp oil into the pork rind. Sprinkle with 1 tbs salt. Place in the
fridge, uncovered, for 3 hours (this helps dry out the skin).
Meanwhile, for the barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add
shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add cherries, tomato sauce,
vinegar, brown sugar, golden syrup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepperand bay leaf.
Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30
minutes or until reduced and slightly thickened. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool
completely.
Preheat oven to 250°C/230°C fan forced. Use paper towel to wipe rind completely dry. Place,
skin side up, in a large heavybased baking dish. Rub remaining oil into rind and sprinkle with
the remaining salt. Roast for 45 minutes or until the skin crackles. Carefully remove from the
oven and stand for 5 minutes.
Reduce oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Combine the orange juice, 160ml (2/3 cup) barbecue
sauce, and 375ml (1½ cups) water in a jug. Pour around pork, avoiding rind. Roast, adding an
extra 250ml (1 cup) water halfway, for a further 2 hours or until pork is very tender. Transfer
pork to chopping board. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Pour the pan juices into a jug. Skim the fat from the surface and discard. Add pan juices and
remaining barbecue sauce to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to the boil.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Transfer to a jug. Carve
pork and serve with sauce.
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbs sea salt
1 orange, juiced
Cherry barbecue sauce
2 tsp olive oil
1 French shallot, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
120g (3/4 cup) frozen pitted sour cherries or frozen pitted cherries
180ml (3/4 cup) tomato sauce
80ml (1/3 cup) apple cider vinegar
70g (1/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
1 tbs golden syrup
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot English mustard
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 fresh bay leaf
Place the pork on a plate. Rub 1 tsp oil into the pork rind. Sprinkle with 1 tbs salt. Place in the
fridge, uncovered, for 3 hours (this helps dry out the skin).
Meanwhile, for the barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add
shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add cherries, tomato sauce,
vinegar, brown sugar, golden syrup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepperand bay leaf.
Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30
minutes or until reduced and slightly thickened. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool
completely.
Preheat oven to 250°C/230°C fan forced. Use paper towel to wipe rind completely dry. Place,
skin side up, in a large heavybased baking dish. Rub remaining oil into rind and sprinkle with
the remaining salt. Roast for 45 minutes or until the skin crackles. Carefully remove from the
oven and stand for 5 minutes.
Reduce oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Combine the orange juice, 160ml (2/3 cup) barbecue
sauce, and 375ml (1½ cups) water in a jug. Pour around pork, avoiding rind. Roast, adding an
extra 250ml (1 cup) water halfway, for a further 2 hours or until pork is very tender. Transfer
pork to chopping board. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Pour the pan juices into a jug. Skim the fat from the surface and discard. Add pan juices and
remaining barbecue sauce to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to the boil.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Transfer to a jug. Carve
pork and serve with sauce.