Belly pork, caramelised apple wedges and boulangere potatoes

This belly pork dish is a real crowd pleaser for a lazy day. You can’t go wrong with tender pork and potatoes, served with caramelised apple wedges.

1 hour prep. time
3+ hours cooking time
Serves 6
Pies & savoury treats

Belly pork, caramelised apple wedges and boulangere pots — A recipe to get your tastebuds tingling | © National Trust

30ml vegetable oil
1.5kg belly pork
145g onion, roughly chopped
145g carrot, roughly chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
85ml white wine
30g cornflour

For the potatoes

1kg potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
235g onions, thinly sliced
15g vegetable bouillon
115ml water
15g rosemary
Salt and pepper
30g butter, melted

For the apples

2 apples, cut into thick slices or wedges
30g butter
15g caster sugar

Top tip

If you don't have a mandolin to slice the potatoes, use a very sharp knife to cut slices around 2mm thick.

Step 1

Gently heat the oil in a deep roasting tray on the hob, then add the chopped onion, carrots and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.

Step 2

Place the pork on top of the vegetables, skin side up, and pour in the white wine.

Step 3

Add 100ml of boiling water and bring to the boil. Cover with foil and roast at 160°C (140°C fan/gas mark 3) for 2–3 hours.

Step 4

Take the roasting tray out of the oven and leave for 5 minutes. Place the pork in a new tray, cover with foil then place a tray on the top and put some weights on the top to compress the pork – you could use a few tins. Chill for at least 6 hours.

Step 5

Tip the remaining contents of the roasting tray into a pan, add a little water and bring to the boil. Strain through a sieve, pushing through as much as you can with a ladle or spoon, dissolve the cornflour in a couple of spoons of water, pour into the sauce and stir to thicken.

Step 6

For the potatoes

Melt the butter and use a little to brush the deep tray. Layer in the potatoes, sliced onions and rosemary.

Step 7

Combine the bouillon with the water and pour over, followed by the rest of the melted butter, and season. Cover with foil and bake at 170°C (150°C fan/gas mark 4) for an hour until the potatoes are soft.

Step 8

Remove the foil, then place the potatoes back in the oven for a further 10–15 minutes or until the top is golden.

Step 9

For the apples

Melt the butter in a frying pan and sprinkle in the sugar, place the apples cut side down in the butter mix and sauté gently until soft and caramelised.

Step 10

To serve

Slice the pork belly then bake on a lined tray at 180°C (160°C fan/gas mark 4) for 10–15 mins until the skin is crisp. Serve with the boulangère potatoes, drizzle over some of the sauce and add a wedge of caramalised apple.