Ingredients
1.5 kg Pork belly, skin scored
30g fresh Thyme leaves, finely chopped
10g Salt
5g Black pepper, freshly ground
3 Medium apples, peeled, quartered, cored and cut into thick slices
2 Medium onions, sliced
Large handful fresh sage leaves
10g Flour
200ml Apple cider
Method
Preheat the oven to 220 °C
Dry the pork belly skin with kitchen towel, mix the thyme, salt and black pepper together in a bowl, rub this mixture all of the pork and skin, then turn the belly over and rub it on the underside of the pork
Place the pork in a casserole dish and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until the skin is crisp, reduce the oven to 160 °C and roast for a further hour
Mix the apples with the onions, sage and a little freshly ground black pepper and arrange in the middle of a small roasting tray
Remove the pork from the oven and place it on top of the apples and onions, keeping the apple and onion pieces underneath the meat so they don’t burn
Keep the first roasting tin to one side, return the pork to the oven and cook for a further hour, or until the meat is really tender
Skim any fat from the cooking juices in the reserved roasting tin and place the tin over a medium heat
Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the cider and bring to a simmer, adding a little luke warm water if needed
Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, strain through a sieve into a small saucepan and season to taste