Pork belly braised in apple cider, pickled shallots and apple compote
Procedure
Grill the chops and lay them in a clay pot roasting dish with apple cider, cider vinegar, a small splash of water, garlic, rosemary, peppercorns and bay.
Cover with kitchen foil and place in the Forno/ Grill Forno at an initial temperature of 220 degrees and no less than approx. 160 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Make a "granny brine" from 1 part water, 1 part vinegar, 1 part sugar, bay, a little salt and peppercorns - and boil it up.
Leave it to cool down a little.
Peel the onions, fry briefly in butter and add them to the brine. Leave for a couple of hours or preferably overnight. In the meantime, core and cube the apples.
Steam the apple cubes with a tiny dash of white wine (take care with adding liquid, as we want to end up with a ”firm” compote that isn't too runny).
Add sugar and vanilla to taste. (Vanilla definitely brings out flavours fantastically - even in savoury dishes)
Don't cook the apple compote for too long - it should have some bite and be a little coarse.
Arrange the pork with the fried pickled onions and coarse apple compote.
Maybe add a little fresh thyme, and a beautiful potato or good home baked rye bread and mustard.
Ingredients
- 800 g grill clubs (pork chops) from a happy pig.
- 1/2 litre apple cider
- 1/4 litres cider vinegar, save approx.. 100 ml for "granny brine"
- 2 garlic cloves
- A couple of sprigs of rosemary
- 8 peppercorns
- A little sugar
- Bay leaves
- A little salt and pepper
- 8 small shallots or pearl onions
- 1/2 kg cooking apples (preferably a variety with a bitter taste)
- 50-100 g sugar
- 1/4 pod vanilla
- A very small dash of acidic white wine