Serves 4–6
This has been on the menu since day one and has consistently been our most popular starter. It has also, at times, been the bane of our lives.
25g fennel seeds (they will
deteriorate with age so make sure
they are fresh)
25g black peppercorns
5g cumin seeds
5g coriander seeds
1 onion, grated
5–6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
60ml vegetable oil
60ml pressed apple juice
1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
1 green chilli, deseeded and diced
60ml maple syrup
60ml smoked chipotle Tabasco
60g English mustard,
or 30g mustard powder mixed
with 2 tbsp water
60g smoked Maldon sea salt
60ml blackstrap molasses
125ml Heinz
185g apricot jam (we generally
use Tiptree)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored
and grated
25g anchovies, finely chopped
1.5–2kg pork belly, with the ribs
attached |
- Dry-roast the spices in a heavy-based frying pan for about 5 minutes, until they turn colour. Tip them into a grinder and whiz until powdered.
- Cook the onion, garlic and spices in the vegetable oil over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the apple juice and cook until the juice has evaporated. Whiz in a blender with all the other ingredients except the apple and anchovies. Stir in the grated apple and chopped anchovies.
- Remove the skin from the pork belly and discard or use to make pork scratchings. Place the belly in a dish and using your hands massage the ribs with the spiced marinade, cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 100°C/200°F/gas ¼. Place the ribs in a shallow roasting tray, cover with foil, and roast for 4–5 hours, until the meat is tender.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting the ribs into portions. In a heavy -based pan, reduce the remaining marinade and use it to baste the ribs liberally.
- Finish cooking the ribs on the barbecue or in a hot oven (220°C/425°F/gas 7) until thoroughly heated through, taking care not to let them burn. We like to serve our ribs with pickled red cabbage, but you could serve them with a slaw.
|
|
|
