Not for the healthy - Pork Belly!

[Missismiggins]

Ok, so here is my second recipe submission for TD. Sorry no photos again, but I was on my own and was busy cutting trees in between the chaos...so I didn't have a chance to take any..it wa a sort of "on the spur of the moment recipe"

Fatty Pork Belly, slowly roasted with loads of veggies, a bit of a sunday roast type of thing only a bit tastier.

Ingredients:

For The Roast!

1:Pork Belly - usually sold here in strips of about 8" long and an inch or two thick, you need about 3 or four, about a kilo, half them length ways so you have them in about 4" lengths.

2: A couple of decent sized onions, sliced into about 1/8" slices.

3: A Big carrot, half it, cut one half up to boil to be eaten with the veg, the other half roughly cut for the stock.

4: A whole head of that BIG Chinese garlic, sliced roughly.

5: A handful of Coriander, roughly chopped.

6: A few lengths of the Chinese Parsley I ranted on about before, again just hacked a bit is enough.

7: Black Pepper, a lot, pounded well.

The Veggies:-

8: Enough potatatos to make up some mash.

9: A Firm (ooh err missus!) green cabbage.

10: A few lengths of those yard long beans, or the short French ones if you can get them.

11: A load of those imported frozen peas that sell for about 3 bucks for half a kilo (incidentally, those on a thrifty budget take note- as these can be quite expensive. If you eat them really quickly, without a lot of chewing, they seem to pop out of your ass the same shape and colour as they went in, so anyone with a strong constitution and a seive, could probably save a few bob on recycling)

In fact, any veggies you fancy, it doesn't really matter.

Now for the last little thing!

A handfull of Mint, a couple of teaspoons of sugar and about three teaspoons or so of vinegar...MINT SAUCE!

The Procedure -

If like me, you have a shit gas oven that is either on full whack or does not cook, this will be quite good for you, apart from attending to it every 20 minutes or so to juggle the shelf positions to prevent burning or none cooking.

Take a roasting pan, pour in some cooking oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, stick it in the oven on the top shelf at full whack for about ten minutes.

After 10 mins, put the pork belly in skin side up, and sprinkle with the black pepper, and drop in a few slices of garlic, maybe half. (RUB THE PORK WITH LOADS OF SALT - and cut little zig zags in the skin, but not too deep! (sorry forgot that bit))

Return to the oven and let it sizzle for about half an hour.

Take the roasting tin out of the oven, and with a bit of luck your pork skin will be getting CRISPY and BROWN.

Lift the pork out and stick it out of the way while you then put in all the ingedients for the Roast, the onions the remaining garlic, the celery, the carrot....and stir them well into the oil and fat.

Now, stick the pork back on top of this lot and return to the oven, now, if you have an oven that actually is temperature controlled, knock it down to about gas mark 4 or about 200C, baste the pork, frequently, every 20 minutes or so, and keep turning it until it becomes tender and moist, like a warm virgins... about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Slowly!!!

When the pork is ready, remove from the tin and hide from your family and flies and dogs and cats.

Take the tin with all the lovely roasted veggies, pour in a cup or two of water, and boil it like buggery on the stove top, you need to get all of the shit from the pan mixed together to make the gravy.

After about 10 minutes, put this lot warts and all into a food processor, or pass through a seive.

Stick the mixture back into a pan, chuck in a teaspoon of that Knorr pork flavouring and a teaspoon or two of corn starch, heat, and you will have perfect gravy...if you could get a drop of sherry, I imagine it would be even better. You might need to add a bit of water if it gets too thick, and a bit of black pepper..up to you!

The rest is straight forward, boil the potatos, carrots, cabbage green beens etc until they are cooked.

Chop the mint finely, and to the vinegar and sugar, for your mint sauce, there you have it...not a good meal for fat people with any sort of artery clogging diseases.

[Stinky]

Sounds bloody yummy Miggs, I love fatty pork so this ones gonna get cooked

[Missismiggins]

Sounds bloody yummy Miggs, I love fatty pork so this ones gonna get cooked

You can't eat a lot of it if you want to stay healthy and not end up with clogged arteries and the like...but the pork and the gravy make it...stick the veggies in a food processor, it makes for a really rich sauce, and as I say, if only you could get a drop of sherry or madeira...you would end up sick from overeating.

I cooked it up today when I was on my own, but busy chopping down trees, it's the kind of food you can leave for half an hour without worrying.

I put a plate up for the boy, as he has been out all day.

He comes back in a foul mood, and tells me "I'm not eating that shit"

Anyway, I left his plate in his room while i went back to work, and a foot up his arse to boot..ten minutes later, it was fucking devoured!

The pork belly here beats any pork chop if you have the time to cook it slow!

But best not waste valuable resources too much, as Thais for some reason will scoff the pork, and the gravy, but don't seem too partial to mashed potatos, or boiled carrots, cabbage, peas etc.

however, don't scrimp, simply hide these vegetables for later, and you can make a damn good fry up!

[Stinky]

It's a good one for a Sunday dinner so next week its gonna happen. I don't worry about my arteries too much, maybe I should though with the nipper to worry about.
Odd that your boy turned his nose up at it the first time round, I thought Thais (half Thais) loved their pork fat.

[jandajoy]

Nice one Missi.

[Missismiggins]

It's a good one for a Sunday dinner so next week its gonna happen. I don't worry about my arteries too much, maybe I should though with the nipper to worry about.
Odd that your boy turned his nose up at it the first time round, I thought Thais (half Thais) loved their pork fat.

He just does it to me to let me know he is pissed off at something, it turns out he has been getting bullied by some beasts at school!

The food was nothing to do with it. fucker ate all the same!

[daveboy]

Roast belly is one of my favourite meals I'll be giving this a whirl thanks miggins.

[Stinky]

Bullying is a bridge that I've not crossed yet, I hate the thought of it, mostly coz I was bullied for years at school for years, until I got big and turned the tables.
Can you go to the school and complain about it?

[Missismiggins]

Bullying is a bridge that I've not crossed yet, I hate the thought of it, mostly coz I was bullied for years at school for years, until I got big and turned the tables.
Can you go to the school and complain about it?

Tomorrow, it will either be sorted or he changes schools, the [at][at][at][at] that bullies him is like fucking Khun Kluey, he is twice the size of the normal kids, a real heffer to deal with, but he also told me tonight that the teacher there reckons if the homework is not done he will HIT them, so we shall see who is hitting who tomorrow! [at][at][at][at]! (The kids are just 8 - let's see him hit someone his own fucking size!-or probably bigger! fucking HERO!) Anyway see how it goes in the morning..

[Stinky]

Hit him will he eh! I'd be hard pressed to keep my temper if he tried that on my kid. I'd certainly leave him with no doubts as to my feeling on the subject.

[dirtydog]

I think the first time I ate pork belly I was about 18, my mother must have been health concious, at first the suggestion of eating something with so much fat on I was against the idea, my mate got me to try a bit, I was hooked, might make some tonight infact

[blackgang]

I have always eaten it, at home we put in flour and fry it, but first is is sliced as you would bacon, fairly thin, I do that here too and everyone likes it, and my wife brings home 4 pieces from the store once a week and we roast the pieces in our Melvbot convection oven seasoned with Montrial seasoning and it is great shit, only pork here that is fat enough to roast.

[Missismiggins]

I think the first time I ate pork belly I was about 18, my mother must have been health concious, at first the suggestion of eating something with so much fat on I was against the idea, my mate got me to try a bit, I was hooked, might make some tonight infact

I'll be honest, I would never even thought about cooking fatty shit like this until I worked in Bavaria, in a hotel, washing filthy dishes like a worthless twat, until the half eaten service bowls come back... boy, did i then taste REAL food.

My mother could not cook to save her life, everything she made was either half raw or burnt.

My old man worked night shift for about a thousand years, and when, if my mother was out or busy, he had to "COOK" for us, he would simply empty a can of beans into a pan on full whack, there were no Keith Floyyd or Anton mossiman tips as to STIR the fucking thing, so the bottom half was burned to a crisp, and the outside was still freezing cold, haute cuisine, a la papa!

The fucker could burn water!

I suppose that was why I wanted to cook. It was a good excuse to be able to eat something that wasn't a pile of shit!

Then I went to the hotels of Germany, but by christ they could cook up some food!

My mothers Marmite on toast seemed to pale into insignificance, even her disgusting ham soup, and pasties that needed a fucking sledgehammer to crack the crust, were no patch on the Bavarian food!

You know, when people remenisce about home and the homely food they had, I'd just like to say FUCK OFF!

I truly think if it was not for the vile school dinners I got for 12Pence every day, I should surely have died, as my mothers cooking lacked everything that food should contain...

[dirtydog]

I think I was about 14 when my mother refused to cook for us because we all complained about her cooking, from then on we lived on takeaways or microwaved meals.

[jizzybloke]

I had a great bit of belly pork at SOS on thursday, lovely!

sos

[dirtydog]

Just gone out and bought a couple of pieces for a midnight snack, no vegetables or potatoes though.

[Stinky]

I had a great bit of belly pork at SOS on thursday, lovely!

sos

Looks like a nice place, great website

[jizzybloke]

It is mate, been there a few times but never up on the top floor, that's the real posh bit!

Menu for the 2nd floor, http://www.smithsofsmithfield.co.uk/...gRoom_menu.pdf

[Stinky]

Is it expensive? I'm really tempted to give it a go next time I'm in town

The crispy belly of pork with the green sauce looks really worth a go

[jizzybloke]

Very reasonable prices, have a look at the menu ^^ all the prices are on it.

A few bottles of wine will soon see the bill going up though!

[jizzybloke]

2nd floor menu

LARDER 6½ Pounds
‘Smiths’ Cos Salad, Creamy Dressing, Parmesan Croutons (v)
Duck Liver Parfait, Toast & Onion Chutney
Baba Ganoush, Iman Bayildi, Falafel, Tzatziki & Flat Bread (v)
Dandelion & Endive Salad, Poached Egg, Crisp Bacon, Mustard Dressing
Grilled Haloumi, Pear & Watercress Salad, Walnut Dressing (v)
‘Smiths’ Gravlax, Radish & Green Apple Salad

Grilled Sardines on Toast

STARTER 7½ Pounds
Seared Tuna, Niçoise Salad, Cream Dressing
Buffalo Mozzarella, Roast Tomatoes, Sorrel, Grilled Bread & Capezzana ‘08 Olive Oil (v)
Portuguese Salt Cod Fritters, Lemon Mayonnaise

Lucky Squid, Chilli Jam & Chinese Broccoli

SOUP 4½ Pounds
Jerusalem Artichoke, Truffle Oil (v)

Chicken & Sweet Corn

MAINS & GRILLS 12½ Pounds
Roast Globe Artichoke, Leeks, Wild Mushrooms & Spinach (v)
Hot Salt Beef, Spring Onion Mash, Buttered Carrots & Pickles
Broad Bean Risotto, Pecorino & Pea Shoots (v)
Salmon & Smoked Haddock Fishcake, Spinach & Hollandaise
‘Smiths’10oz Beef Burger, Mature Cheddar, Old Spot Bacon

Roast Fillet Bream, Cauliflower & Black Olive Tapenade

MAINS & GRILLS 14½ Pounds
Guinea Fowl, Butter Bean, Chorizo & Tomato Stew
Braised Lamb Shoulder, Minted Swiss Chard
Crisp Belly of Pork, Mash Potato & Green Sauce
Daily Grilled Fish, Mixed Salad, Lemon, Olive Oil
Grilled Suffolk Chicken, Rosemary & Lemon

9oz South Devon Rib Steak, Chips & Mustard Mayonnaise

SIDES 3½ Pounds
Chips
Mash
Minted New Potatoes
Daily Green Vegetable

Mixed Leaf Salad with Vinaigrette, Blue Cheese or 1000 Island Dressing

SWEET TOOTH 5½ Pounds
Chocolate & Hazelnut Brownie
“Smiths” Raspberry & Strawberry Trifle
Plum & Frangipane Tart, Crème Fraiche
Hot Pineapple & Caramel Tart, Vanilla Ice Cream
Crème Brûlée
Gooseberry & Ginger Crumble, Custard
Plate of Fresh Fruit & Sorbet

‘Smiths’ Ice Creams & Sorbets

[Stinky]

^^Dont they always, but whats a meal without the wine eh

[dirtydog]

So I roasted my pork bellies, first off you don't need to add cooking oil, I thought about it but couldn't be bothered walking all the way downstairs for oil.

1 clove of garlic sliced, salt, black pepper and cumin powder, also a bit of ketchup and here they are ready to go in the oven.



Leaving them for the first 40 minutes unattended because you are working isn't a good idea, the black bits do taste of burnt meat for some reason.
But look at all that lovely fat, thats gonna make some good gravy.



Not too bad if you don't eat too much of the blackend bits of pork, I did flip them and cook the othersides for about 15 minutes more, my mum would be proud of me

[Stinky]

I like to get my nashers around that lot, it looks lovely, so do I get the invite if I turn up in Pattaya

[dirtydog]

Probably be better if we just went to 7/11 and bought some of their chili dogs actually it wasn't too bad, of course thats only my opinion as both my girlfriend and son refuse now to taste or eat anything I cook for some reason.