Recipes Pasturefed Meat - Gippsland Pasturefed Meat

Pork Belly Roast

Pork belly dishes can usually only be found at some of the best restaurants. It's so easy, you must try this recipe at least once, it is succulent and tasty with a rich pork flavour.

1.5kg pork belly

2 tbsp sea salt

olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

Caramel vinigar

1/2 cup (115 g) brown sugar

1/3 cup (80 ml) red wine vinegar

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock

juice of 1 orange

4 wide strips of orange peel

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pork Belly

Score the skin of the pork belly in a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife (a stanley knife works well). Rub the sea salt into the pork skin and set aside for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220C. Wipe the salt off the pork skin with kitchen paper and dry well. Drizzle a large roasting tin with olive oil. Put the pork belly in the tin skin-side down, drizzle with a little more oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 190C and roast for another 1 1/2 hours. Carefully turn the pork over and roast for another 20 minutes, or until the skin is crisp.
Remove the pork from the oven, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice the pork and drizzle with the caramel vinegar (recipe below). Serve with steamed rice, a steamed Asian green vegetable and some freshly chopped red chilli. Serves 6

Caramel vinegar

Put the sugar, vinegar, star anise and cinnamon in a small saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, or until syrupy.

PORK BELLY ROAST (with thanks to Chef James of Agave Restaurant in Yarragon for his secret of the restaurants most popular dish )

Simmer a piece of pork belly (no matter how big the piece is) in a pot of water with salt, bay leaves, few peppercorns and allspice berries for about 1 hr and 45 mins. Other herbs and spices of your choice can be used. The simmering process removes any impurities and most of the fat from the pork belly. Allow to cool, then pat dry and rub oil and salt in the scored skin and roast on a rack in the oven at 180c for about an hour. When roasted, remove the crackling from the roast, cover the roast pork with foil and rest for 10 mins. Meanwhile break the crackling into serving pieces, then slice pork belly roast and serve with veggies of your choice and a piece of crackling. Very moist and tender - melts in your mouth!!

Recipes Pasturefed Meat

The following recipes, ideas and hints are printed with thanks from Australia Pork Limited. Visit www.pork.com.au for more recipes and ideas.

Roast Pork with crackling

To help you cook the crispiest crackling, there are three things you need: heat, oil and salt.
• Firstly, preheat oven to 220°C
• Then pat the surface of the rind dry with paper towel
• Rub a little oil and salt well into the scored rind
• Finally, cook for 20 minutes at 220°C (this will begin the crackling process), then turn down oven to 180°C and cook for 45 minutes per kg
• Rest for 5-10 minutes and enjoy!

Great cuts for roasting: Loin chops, Rolled Loin, Pork Belly, Leg, Shoulder, Scotch Roast,

Cooking Instructions:

Pork is always best cooked over medium heat. Too hot and the meat will have a tendency to dry out
Pork doesn't need to be overcooked to be safe
Pork (like all meat) continues to cook after removal from heat. For best results, let your dish rest uncovered for 1-2 minutes in a warm environment prior to serving (except for sausages and mince)
Always cut meat across the grain to keep tender
Avoid frequent prodding of the meat while cooking
For best results, meat should be brought to room temperature prior to cooking
Marinating can add extra flavour and tenderness, especially on the BBQ.

Cooking Times:

· Steaks: medium heat for 3-4 minutes each side depending on thickness.

· Chops and Cutlets: medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side depending on thickness.

· Spare Ribs: medium heat for 7-10 minutes each side.

· Fillet: medium heat, rolling onto each side for 3 - 4 minutes.

· Sausages and mince rissoles: medium heat for 4-6 minutes until cooked through.

· Schnitzels: medium heat for a minute per side until browned.

· Kebabs (diced): medium heat for 3 minutes per side.

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