Apples are a traditional accompaniment to pork, but it pairs wonderfully with lots of fruit – sweet peaches in this case make for a light and fruity stuffing that cuts through the rich meat and crispy crackling.
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Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs
Cal/Serv:
804
Ingredients
2
kg large and thin boneless piece of pork belly, scored
21/2Tbsp.
olive oil, plus extra to rub over joint
3
banana shallots, finely chopped
1Tbsp.
thyme leaves
Finely grated zest 1 lemon
1tsp.
smoked paprika (sweet or hot)
3
ripe peaches or nectarines, peeled and cut into eighths
750g
miniature new potatoes
500g
baby rainbow or Chantenay carrots, see GH Tip
250g
kale, (tough centres removed) and torn
150ml
cider or white wine
You will also need
Thick kitchen string
Directions
Step 1If the skin of the pork belly is not already scored, do so with a sharp knife or scalpel (or ask your butcher to do this). Dry skin well with kitchen paper and set aside.
Step 2Heat 1tbsp oil in a frying pan and cook shallots with a pinch of salt until softened and golden, about 15min. Stir in thyme leaves, lemon zest and paprika and some seasoning. Cool.
Step 3Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7. Put pork belly skin-side down on a board, with a long edge closest to you. Spread over shallot mixture then arrange the peach/nectarine slices in a thick line along the long edge closest to you. Roll up meat from the long edge closest to you and secure in place with knotted string (in a few sections along the length). Weigh pork and calculate cooking time – allow 22min per 450g (1lb).
Step 4Put rolled joint seam-side down in a large roasting tin. Rub oil all over skin and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 20min, then turn temperature down to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4 and continue cooking for the calculated time.
Step 5Meanwhile, parboil potatoes in boiling salted water for 12-15min until tender; drain thoroughly. Toss in a bowl with 1tbsp oil and some seasoning and add to the roasting tin for the final 45min of cooking. Toss carrots in remaining oil in the empty potato bowl and add to the pork tin for the final 25min of cooking.
Step 6When the pork is cooked, transfer to a board and leave to rest in a warm place for 20min. Add kale to the roasting tin, toss together, then pour over cider and return to oven for 10min. Serve pork in slices with the roasted vegetables and any juices from the tin.
Get ahead
Prepare pork to end of step 3 (taking a note of the weight) up to a day ahead. Cover and chill. To serve, allow pork to come up to room temperature then dry skin with kitchen paper before completing recipe.
GH Tip
If using Chantenay carrots, toss in oil with the potatoes and add them to the roasting tin at the same time.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
