Crispy Pork Belly with Wild Garlic Arroz

3 hrs 40 mins

4 people

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

3 hrs 30 mins

Total Time

3 hrs 40 mins

With plenty of wild garlic around at the moment, nothing beats a fragrant arroz made with a few handfuls of wild garlic and what better way to pair it than with a melt in the mouth piece of crispy pork belly that has been previously braised for 3 hours in white rioja.

Ingredients
Method

1.2kg piece of boneless pork belly, unscored
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 garlic head, cut in half
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Few peppercorns
500ml white rioja
1 litre chicken stock
White wine vinegar
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
For the wild garlic arroz:
2 large banana shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
30g butter
tbsp olive oil
250g paella rice
splash white wine or vermouth
1 litre chicken stock (hot)
Few large handful wild garlic leaves, blended into a puree with a splash of stock
50g cured manchego cheese, grated finely
wild garlic flowers, to garnish
salt and pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Place all the ingredients except the pork belly into a large oven proof dish or shallow roasting tin that will fit the pork. Season with salt and bring to the boil then turn down the heat and slide the pork belly in. The pork should be totally submerged, if it is not, top up with water. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 3 hours.
Remove the pork from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the stock. Line a flat baking tray with cling film. Carefully lift the pork into the tray and make sure you get rid of any bits of vegetables or herbs as they will end up pressed into the pork. Cover the pork with another sheet of cling film and cover with a flat tray, the tray must be completely flat as any indentations will be pressed into the pork. Weigh the pork down with some cans and leave to cool in the fridge overnight. Strain the juices into a jug or small saucepan, cover and chill.
Unwrap the pork and place on a board. Trim the uneven edges so that you have a neat sheet of meat. Cut the meat into 4 equal pieces and set aside until ready to cook. Lift off any bits of fat from the braising juices and tip what will now be jelly into a saucepan, then bubble down by about two-thirds until starting to become slightly syrupy. Add a few drops of white wine vinegar, to taste.
For the wild garlic arroz, cook the finely chopped shallots and garlic in half the butter and the oil for about 10 minutes without colouring. Add the rice, turn up the heat and cook until the rice is coated with the shallot and garlic mix, season with salt and add the wine. Stir until the wine has been absorbed. Add the stock until the rice is just covered and turn down the heat. Maintain rice at a gentle simmer and keep adding stock once the last addition has been absorbed. After 15 minutes add the wild garlic puree and stir into rice. Add more stock. After another 3 minutes, when the rice is just cooked but has some bite, add the remaining butter and cheese. Check seasoning.
Heat some oil in a large frying pan until hot, then turn the heat down. Add the pork to the pan, skin-side down. Sear the pork belly for 5 mins until the skin is crispy. Flip it over and cook for 3-4 mins until browned.
To serve, place a good spoonful of the wild garlic arroz, top with the crispy pork belly and spoon some of the cooking juices, garnish with some wild garlic flowers.

Ingredients

1.2kg piece of boneless pork belly, unscored
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 garlic head, cut in half
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Few peppercorns
500ml white rioja
1 litre chicken stock
White wine vinegar
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
For the wild garlic arroz:
2 large banana shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
30g butter
tbsp olive oil
250g paella rice
splash white wine or vermouth
1 litre chicken stock (hot)
Few large handful wild garlic leaves, blended into a puree with a splash of stock
50g cured manchego cheese, grated finely
wild garlic flowers, to garnish
salt and pepper

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Place all the ingredients except the pork belly into a large oven proof dish or shallow roasting tin that will fit the pork. Season with salt and bring to the boil then turn down the heat and slide the pork belly in. The pork should be totally submerged, if it is not, top up with water. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 3 hours.
Remove the pork from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the stock. Line a flat baking tray with cling film. Carefully lift the pork into the tray and make sure you get rid of any bits of vegetables or herbs as they will end up pressed into the pork. Cover the pork with another sheet of cling film and cover with a flat tray, the tray must be completely flat as any indentations will be pressed into the pork. Weigh the pork down with some cans and leave to cool in the fridge overnight. Strain the juices into a jug or small saucepan, cover and chill.
Unwrap the pork and place on a board. Trim the uneven edges so that you have a neat sheet of meat. Cut the meat into 4 equal pieces and set aside until ready to cook. Lift off any bits of fat from the braising juices and tip what will now be jelly into a saucepan, then bubble down by about two-thirds until starting to become slightly syrupy. Add a few drops of white wine vinegar, to taste.
For the wild garlic arroz, cook the finely chopped shallots and garlic in half the butter and the oil for about 10 minutes without colouring. Add the rice, turn up the heat and cook until the rice is coated with the shallot and garlic mix, season with salt and add the wine. Stir until the wine has been absorbed. Add the stock until the rice is just covered and turn down the heat. Maintain rice at a gentle simmer and keep adding stock once the last addition has been absorbed. After 15 minutes add the wild garlic puree and stir into rice. Add more stock. After another 3 minutes, when the rice is just cooked but has some bite, add the remaining butter and cheese. Check seasoning.
Heat some oil in a large frying pan until hot, then turn the heat down. Add the pork to the pan, skin-side down. Sear the pork belly for 5 mins until the skin is crispy. Flip it over and cook for 3-4 mins until browned.
To serve, place a good spoonful of the wild garlic arroz, top with the crispy pork belly and spoon some of the cooking juices, garnish with some wild garlic flowers.

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Añana Salt Flakes

£3.50
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Milenrama Rioja Blanco 2018

£9.25
£7.86
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La Tradicion Cured Manchego Piece 250g

£5.75
£5.46

Chef's Profile

Javier De La Hormaza

Javier is a Basque born, trained chef and hospitality professional, owner of Basco Fine Foods, a Spanish food and drink importer based in Yorkshire. He regularly runs client food and drink events around the country and he is a course tutor at Hartingtons of Bakewell cookery school. Javier's passion lies on bringing quality Spanish ingredients and recipes to as many people as possible.

Twitter: @bascofinefoods
Instagram: @mrbasco