The most famous of British dishes, the Sunday roast is a real labour of love – but isn’t that what weekends are for? Staying in and getting family or friends involved in the prep then, while your joint gently cooks away in the oven, going for a walk or playing a board game. The only decision then is which roast to choose: pork, lamb, chicken or beef…
Roast pork belly with figs, pears & sherry
The popularity of pork belly has rocketed in recent years – it’s a cut with the perfect combination of salty, crunchy crackling and juicy sweet meat
Serves 6-8 Prep time 20 mins Cooking time 4-4 hrs 30 mins plus overnight chilling You’ll need… Large roasting tin
• 1.5kg British free-range pork belly, on the bone, skin scored (ask your butcher to do this)
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• Large pinch dried chilli flakes
• A few thyme sprigs, leaves picked
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 2 onions, quartered
• 1 large leek or 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 300ml dry sherry (such as fino or amontillado)
• 4 ripe figs, halved
• 2 pears, quartered and cored
1 The night before cooking, unwrap the pork, put it on a lipped plate or tray and cover with a tea towel. Put at the bottom of the fridge until ready to cook.
2 Heat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7. Remove the pork from the fridge 30 mins before cooking to take the chill off it. Pat the skin dry with kitchen paper. Grind the spices and thyme leaves with a pestle and mortar, add a good grind of black pepper, then rub the mixture into the pork meat. Rub the salt into the skin, then put the meat in a snug-fitting, heavy-based roasting tin, skin-side up. Put the tin in the oven and roast for 45 mins until the skin crackles. 3 Remove the tin, turn down the oven to 170°C/fan 150°C/gas 3½, then transfer the pork to a board. Put the onions and the leek/carrots in the tin to form a trivet, then sit the pork on top and add the sherry and 100ml cold water. Return the pork to the oven for 3 hrs, checking every hour or so and adding a little extra water if it starts to dry out. After 3 hrs, wiggle one of the bones. If it feels loose enough to come away easily from the flesh, remove the pork from the oven. If not, cook for 20-30 mins more.
4 Once the pork is tender, remove the tin from the oven and add the figs and pears, turning to coat in the cooking juices. Turn up the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6, then return the pork for 10-15 mins. If the skin is crisp, remove the tin from the oven a
