Mexico’s love of pork is well documented, but how the country is influenced by so many different food cultures not so much be that exotic ingredients from the east such as sesame, tamarind and cloves, the importation of kebab cooking from the Lebanese or the use of French techniques from the short reign of Maximilian. Here, the scraps in the pan, a mirepoix and the classic pairing of smoked chillies and tamarind would work well with any cut of pork but, with belly, its flavour melts into the beautifully tangy, smoky sauce.
Slow-cooked pork belly with chipotle and tamarind (pictured top)
Cooking the skin separately ensures a delightfully crisp and light scratching that’s perfect for scooping up the rich sauce.
Prep 10 min
Cook 3 hr 30 min+
Serves 6-8
1½ kg pork belly, skin and meat separated (ask the butcher to do this for you, if need be)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 medium carrots
2 celery sticks
1 medium leek, cut in half lengthways and washed
20g butter
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large thumb ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp tamarind puree – the best you can get
1½ tbsp chipotle in adobo
60ml sherry
300ml pineapple juice
3 bay leaves
For the rub
1½ tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 star anise
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 small cinnamon stick
2 tsp ancho chilli flakes
Salt
An hour or two before cooking, take both the belly and skin out of the fridge to come to room temperature.
To make the rub, put a small frying pan on a medium heat for a few minutes, then gently toast the coriander seeds, peppercorns, star anise, fennel seeds and cinnamon for a few minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the ancho flakes and toast for 20-30 seconds, then tip the spices into a grinder, add two teaspoons of salt and grind to a powder.
Rub both the pork belly and skin with a tablespoon of olive oil, then rub in half the spice mix.
Heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9. Dice the onion, carrots, celery and white part of the leek (save the green part for stock). Put the pork belly in a deep roasting dish just big enough to hold it snugly, then cover with foil. Put the skin on a separate baking sheet. Roast both the pork belly and skin for half an hour.
Heat the remaining oil and the butter in a large casserole on a medium heat, add the diced vegetables and the rest of the rub, and sweat, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger, saute for another few minutes, then stir in the tamarind, chipotle, sherry, pineapple juice, bay leaves and 150ml water. Bring to a simmer, then take off the heat.
Once the pork and skin have had half an hour, turn down the oven to 160C (140C fan)/325F/gas 3. Gently lift the pork belly out of its roasting dish, pour in the vegetables, then set the meat back on top. Cover again and roast for another two to two and a half hours, until completely tender.
Transfer the pork belly and crisp skin to a warm plate to rest. Tip the contents of the roasting tray into a blender, blitz to a thick puree, then taste and adjust with a pinch more salt, a dash more pineapple juice or a slosh more sherry.
Serve the pork with its delicious sauce and the smacked cucumbers below on the side.
Smacked cucumbers with lime and chilli
These are seasoned with ancho chilli and lime for a light, Mexican twist on the classic.
Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 6
2 cucumbers, washed
1 large pinch fine sea salt
For the dressing
½ tsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 large thumb ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp brown rice vinegar
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp ancho chilli flakes
Toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
Put the cucumbers on a large chopping board. Using a rolling pin, smack them a couple of times along their length, so the skin breaks in places, then cut the cucumbers in half. Chop into rough 2-3cm chunks, then put in a colander. Sprinkle over the sea salt, toss to combine, then leave to drain for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: whisk the sugar, salt, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown rice vinegar, sesame oil and lime juice in a small bowl.
Gently toast the ancho chilli flakes in a dry frying pan on a medium-low heat for a minute, until fragrant, then tip into a spice grinder or mortar, and grind to a fine powder.
Drain the cucumber and arrange it on a large platter. Pour the dressing all over the top, toss to coat, then sprinkle over the ancho chilli powder and toasted sesame seeds, and serve.
