Although this takes a few hours to braise in the oven, it is by definition a quick dish if you look at how little time it takes to put together: a light browning of the pork belly and a gentle saute of the leeks and fennel. The result is an unusual and delectable Easter feast. Experiment with different green veg as the weather improves: it is delicious with baby broad beans, fresh or frozen, and stalks of young, sweet asparagus.
Braised pork belly with ancho chilli, bay and fennel
The long, slow cooking makes the belly tender and unctuous – a lovely contrast to the herb-flecked fennel and leeks. If you can’t find ancho chillies (readily available online), substitute with Spanish dried Nora chillies, 2-3 teaspoons of Aleppo chilli flakes, or a half a teaspoon of normal chilli flakes.
Prep 30 min
Cook 2 hr
Serves 4-6
1.4kg boned pork belly, cut into 5cm cubes or squares
Olive oil or rapeseed oil
2 ancho chillies
2 tsp fennel seeds
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
200ml manzanilla sherry, or full-bodied dry white wine
3-4 fresh bay leaves
Zest and juice of 1 orange
For the vegetables
2 tbsp unsalted butter, or olive oil
2 leeks, peeled, washed and finely chopped
2 fennel bulbs, cut into 2-3cm dice
200g frozen peas
2-3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 handful each parsley and mint leaves, roughly chopped
Crusty bread, to serve
Heat the oven to 140C/275F/gas 1. An hour before you cook, season the pork belly generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large, wide pan over a medium heat and pour in a tablespoon of oil. Put the pork belly into the pan in a single layer and brown it all over for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally so that some fat renders out and the meat turns golden brown. Pour out any excess fat as the pork is browning.
Meanwhile, tear open the ancho chillies, discarding the stem and seeds, and rip the flesh into large, flattish pieces. Heat a dry frying pan on medium and toast the peppers for 20-30 seconds a side, until they smell fragrant (take care not to burn or they’ll taste bitter instead of sweet). Cover with 200ml boiling water and leave to soak for 20 minutes.
Gently toast the fennel seeds in a frying pan for a minute, then grind to a powder. Mash to a puree with the garlic and half the wine in a mortar or food processor. Strain then roughly chop the chillies, reserving the liquid, and pour their soaking water and the rest of the wine into the garlic paste.
Once the pork has browned, pour over the garlic sauce. Add the bay leaves and zest and juice of the orange, and bring just to a simmer. Transfer to the oven, cover with a lid slightly askew, and braise for 90-120 minutes, until tender.
While the pork is cooking, melt the butter in a casserole and add the leeks and fennel. Season well with salt and pepper and cook over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until soft. Add the peas, vinegar and herbs, and stir until the peas are cooked – a few minutes. Adjust the seasoning and set aside.
Serve the pork belly in deep bowls on the sweet herby vegetables with crusty bread to mop up all the braising juices.
And for the rest of the week
I am eating a lot of braised vegetables at the moment. Whizz up lots of flat-leaf parsley in olive oil and use this to drizzle over them; a dollop of goat’s curd or some grilled halloumi on the side is also a lovely accompaniment. If you have ordered a lot of ancho chillies online for this week’s recipe, try deseeding and blitzing any remaining with garlic, shallots, olive oil and vinegar. Leave to macerate in the fridge and slather over anything and everything.
- Food styling: Rukmini Iyer
