Roast pork belly with crackling: everyone’s for seconds

This slow-cooked pork belly will give you lovely crisp crackling without any fuss. Ask your butcher to score the skin.

Yum: Roast pork dinner. Picture: Guy Bailey

This slow-cooked pork belly will give you lovely crisp crackling without any fuss. Ask your butcher to score the skin into thin strips.

Roast pork belly dinner

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

2 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons flaked sea salt

Olive oil

1.5kg boneless pork belly, skin scored

Pound thyme, garlic and salt together in a pestle and mortar and rub over pork flesh. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast pork, skin-side up, in preheated oven at 200°C for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 160°C and cook for a further 2½ hours. Allow to rest for 20 minutes. Carve and serve with crackling, cabbage and salsa.

Apple & avocado salsa

1 granny smith apple, peeled, diced

2 ripe avocados, diced

3 spring onions, sliced

½ cup coriander leaves

½ green chilli, seeds removed, chopped

1 lime

Mix apple and avocados with spring onions, coriander leaves, chilli and grated zest of lime. Squeeze over juice from lime; season to taste.

Cabbage with bacon & chilli

1 small cabbage

2 tablespoons olive oil

250g pancetta or bacon, chopped

½ teaspoon crushed dried chilli

1 clove garlic, peeled

Discard outer leaves of cabbage; finely shred. Heat oil in large deep frying pan or wok; add pancetta or bacon. Cook for a couple of minutes, stir in cabbage, chilli, garlic. Stir-fry for about 4 minutes over high heat; add 2 tablespoons water, reduce heat, cover. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until cabbage has softened, but still has a bite. Season to taste.

And to drink… Eric Bordelet’s Sidre Brut Tendre ($25), a rich, complex French cider