Crispy Pork Cheek Belly Or Turkey Thigh Salad Food

CRISPY PORK CHEEK, BELLY OR TURKEY-THIGH SALAD

Steps:

• Sprinkle the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Refrigerate overnight, uncovered.
• When you're ready to cook, rinse the meat in cold water; if you're using the oven (see next step), heat to 300. Put the fat in a pot that will allow you to submerge the meat, or nearly so. If you're using lard or duck fat, heat it in the oven until melted; if you're using oil, warm it.
• Submerge the meat in the fat, put a piece of parchment paper directly on top and weigh the paper down with something (I used a wooden spoon) to keep it in place. Cook slowly on top of the stove or in the oven, adjusting the heat as necessary so the fat bubbles gently - not rapidly - and turning the meat once or twice if it is not completely submerged. (You may wind up cooking at a temperature as low as 250.) It's done when you can easily pierce it with a skewer, 2 hours or longer for cheek and belly, 1 hour for turkey.
• Remove the meat from the fat. Proceed or refrigerate the meat, lightly covered, for a day or two. Heat the oven to 350. (If you're using turkey, drizzle the bread with olive oil.) Place the meat skin-side up directly on top of the slice of bread (you want the meat to just cover the bread; any bread that's exposed may burn). Put on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and roast, checking occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the skin becomes quite crisp, as little as 45 minutes or somewhat longer. Remove.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, capers, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning; the dressing should be quite sharp. Wash and dry the greens. If you're using turkey, pull out the thigh bones (they should slip out easily). With the meat still on top of the bread, chop the meat and bread into bite-size pieces (it doesn't matter if it crumbles a bit). Toss with the greens and the dressing, and serve.

CRISPY ROAST PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of water, big enough to fit the pork belly in, to the boil. Add the bicarb and poach the pork on a gentle simmer for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, put the coriander seeds and chilli flakes in a small frying pan and toast over a medium heat until the seeds are aromatic, being careful not to burn the chilli.
• Carefully lift the pork out of the pan using two slotted spoons and put in a roasting tin, skin-side down. Pat dry with kitchen towel and pierce the meat all over with a knife. Grind the toasted spices with the salt using a pestle and mortar, then cover the meat with half the spiced salt. Turn the pork over and pat the skin dry with kitchen paper, pressing down to make sure it's dry . Squeeze the lemon juice all over the skin, then rub the lemon, flesh-side down, over it. Pat dry again and rub the remaining salt mixture over, making sure it gets into the grooves. Chill, uncovered, for 1 hr, or as long as possible (up to 24 hours).
• Bring the pork out of the fridge 30 mins before you want to cook it and heat oven to 240C/220C fan/ gas 9. Nestle the fennel and onion underneath the meat. Roast for 40 mins, turning the roasting tin halfway so that it cooks evenly. Turn the oven down to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3, add the apple, apple juice and sherry to the tin and cook for 1 hr. Turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7 and roast for a further 10-15 mins until the crackling is crisp. Remove from the oven and rest for at least 15 mins, keeping the juices and apple, onion and fennel warm in a low oven. Flip the pork over and use a very sharp knife to cut it up into chunks, in line with the rib bones. Spoon over the juices.Use any leftovers in Rosie's pork & black bean tacos or spicy Singapore noodles.

CRISPY CRACKLED PORK BELLY WITH FENNEL & APPLE SLAW

Steps:

• Using a pestle and mortar, crush together the fennel seeds, coriander seeds and chilli flakes, then mix the spices into the salt. Put the pork belly in a roasting tin and slash lines across the skin (about 5mm apart) using a sharp knife. Rub the skin with most of the salt mix, and chill, uncovered, overnight.
• The next day, heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Remove the pork from the fridge and scrape off the salt mix. Pat well with kitchen paper to remove the moisture, then re-season with the remaining salt mix. Roast for 2 hrs, then reduce the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and cook for a further 1 hr. Turn the oven up to its highest for 15-20 mins or until crackled. If your pork still hasn't crackled enough, heat the grill to its highest setting. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet and grill for 4-5 mins (watch it to make sure it doesn't burn). Cover and rest for 30 mins.
• To make the slaw, mix together the lemon zest and juice with the olive oil, chilli and some seasoning in a large bowl. Toss the with the shallot, fennel and apple. Top with the fennel fronds, if you like.
• Whizz together all the ingredients for the mojo verde and season to taste. Slice and serve the pork with the slaw andmojo verde on the side. Any leftover pork can be warmed and piled into crusty rolls with the slaw and mojo verde.

CRISP CIDER-BRAISED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Day 1: Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Place all the ingredients except the pork and sunflower oil in a flameproof pan that will fit the pork snugly - a casserole dish is ideal. Season, bring everything to the boil then turn down the heat and slide the pork into the pan. The pork should be totally submerged - if it isn't, top up with water. Cover the dish with a lid or tight tent of foil and place it in the oven for 3 hrs undisturbed.
• When the pork is cooked, leave it to cool slightly in the stock. Line a flat baking tray with cling film. Carefully lift the pork into the tray and make sure you get rid of any bits of vegetables or herbs as they will end up pressed into the pork. Cover the pork with another sheet of cling film and cover with a flat tray or dish - the tray must be completely flat as any indentations will be pressed into the pork. Weigh the pork down with another dish or some cans and leave to cool in the fridge overnight. Strain the juices into a jug or small saucepan, cover and chill.
• Day 2: Unwrap the pork and place on a board. Trim the uneven edges so that you have a neat sheet of meat. Cut the meat into 4 equal pieces and set aside until ready to cook. Lift off any bits of fat from the braising juices and tip what will now be jelly into a saucepan, then bubble down by about two-thirds until starting to become slightly syrupy. Add a few more drops of vinegar, to taste.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot, then turn the heat down. Add the pork to the pan, skin-side down - be careful as it has a tendency to spit. Sizzle the pork as you would bacon for 5 mins until the skin is crisp. Flip it over and cook for 3-4 mins until browned. Place a small pile of cabbage on the side of each plate and sit a piece of pork on top. Place a spoonful of mash on the other side of the plate, drizzle over the sauce and serve.