Cook’s Series Free Range Pork Belly

City Larder Cook's Series Free-Range Pork Belly is slow-cooked sous-vide for 24 hours to ensure succulence every single time. That means crisp, toothsome crackling giving way to meltingly tender meat can be yours in just 20 minutes. Some judicious saucing, a few well-chosen sides and you’ll have friends & family applauding in no time.
To get your started, we’ve included three of our favourite recipes below.

Heating instructions
• Roast – Remove from bag and cook in an oven pre-heated to 160 degrees Celsius for approximately 30 minutes.
• Pan-fry – Remove from bag and cook gently in a heavy-based pan for approximately 10-15 minutes each side
• Sous-vide – Leave in bag. Submerge full package in a pot of simmering water for 30 minutes with lid on.

Pork Belly with Mashed Potato and Cabbage Salad

Not all potatoes are created equal. King Edward or Dutch Cream are Robbie’s preferred varieties of potato for mashing. This quantity will make a generous volume of mashed potatoes but we challenge you to resist. Think of leftover mashed potato as a great start on your next meal: fish cakes, cottage pie, croquettes or bubble and squeak anyone?

Ingredients
• 900g potatoes, peeled and cut to a similar size (2-3cm square approx.)
• 100g butter, cut into cubes
• 100ml full cream milk
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• juice of a lemon
• cabbage, finely shredded
• parsley, coriander, mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
• Parmesan, freshly grated
• Cook’s Series Free Range Pork Belly

Method
1. To make the mashed potato, in a medium size pan cover potatoes with cold, well-salted water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat so the potatoes are just simmering. Depending on the size you’ve cut them, they’ll take 10-15 minutes to become tender.
2. Drain cooked potatoes well then return to the still-hot pan for a couple of minutes to drive off any excess water. Add the butter to the pan and mash (or use ricer/food mill) the potato until smooth. Using a spatula, work in the olive oil and milk by beating it well. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
3. To make the slaw, toss the cabbage, herbs, and cheese then dress liberally with olive oil and lemon juice. Season well to taste and give it a thorough toss to ensure it is evenly dressed.
4. To heat the pork belly through either roast it in a pre-heated 160 degrees Celsius oven for approximately 30 minutes or cook gently in a heavy-based pan for approximately 10-15 minutes each side.
5. To serve, heap a spoonful of mashed potato on your plate, lots of cabbage salad and your perfectly cooked pork belly. 2-4-6-8, dig in don’t wait!

Pork Belly, Chorizo & Squid Tapas

Aim to have the squid, pork belly and chorizo all cut into roughly the same size and because the pork belly has already been cooked long and slow, this tapas dish will come together in no time. This is exactly the kind of lovely little snack you hope to find at your neighbourhood wine bar.

Ingredients
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon Pimenton de la Vera Smoked Sweet Paprika
• 1 pack Cook’s Series Free Range Pork Belly, sliced into 10-12 pieces
• 1 chorizo sausage (cured), large dice
• 1 whole squid, cleaned (ask your fishmonger to do this if you prefer) cut into large pieces
• 1 whole La Catedral de Navarra piquillo pepper, sliced into thick ribbons

Method
1. Combine a good glug of olive oil, sliced garlic, salt, pepper and smoked paprika into a bowl and give it a good toss. Add pork belly, chorizo, squid, and peppers and coat well in the seasoned oil then tip the whole lot into a terracotta (or other) ovenproof serving dish.
2. Pop the dish into an oven that has been pre-heated to 190 degrees Celsius and cook for 7-9 minutes. You’re looking to just cook the squid through (keeping it tender and not chewy); the chorizo and pork belly have already been cooked so they just need warming.
3. Once done, remove the dish from the oven and give it all a toss so each bit is covered in tasty juices. To serve, top with chopped parsley and make sure there’s some crusty bread to sop up every last morsel.

Japanese-Inspired Pork Belly Feast

Creating a Japanese-inspired feast needn’t be complicated. In fact, there’s an inherent simplicity to most Japanese meals, with several dishes all served at once. Add some steamed Koshihikari rice, maybe a small bowl of miso soup, a few pickles and smiles are guaranteed all round.

Ingredients
• 2 eggplant (medium-large)
• Olsson’s sea salt flakes
• cabbage
• Jimoto Foods Spicy Ume & Lime Dressing
• black sesame seeds
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pack Cook’s Series Free Range Pork Belly
• 150ml Jimoto Foods Shiso Teriyaki
• 150ml chicken stock
• juice from half a lemon
• Jimoto Foods Miso Hot Sauce
• Yamaki Jozo Shoyu
• Japanese Fish Sauce

Method
1. Cut the eggplant into a large dice, sprinkle liberally with salt and gently toss. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile you can make the cabbage side dish. Roughly chop a few cabbage leaves and toss in Jimoto Foods Spicy Ume & Lime dressing. Massage dressing into the leaves so it is well coated. No one likes a naked salad. Just before serving, top with black sesame seeds.
3. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. After the 15 minute-salting, drain any liquid from the eggplant, pat dry then drizzle the lot with olive oil, and roast for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Open the pork belly and place in a sauté pan. Add Shiso Teriyaki and stock to pan and bathe the pork slice generously with this liquid. Cook with lid on over a medium heat, for 15 mins basting and turning the pork regularly.
5. Once the eggplant has taken on plenty of colour, remove it from oven and toss with lemon juice, Miso Hot Sauce, shoyu and finish with fish sauce to taste.
6. Back to the pork - remove the lid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. By now, the pork will have taken on the colour (and flavours) as well as softened and warmed through. Place the pork on a warmed plate and pour the reduced sauce over the meat so nothing of the tasty goodness is lost. Serve with Miso Hot Sauce Eggplant and Cabbage with Spicy Ume & Lime Dressing.