Pork bellies with cider glaze and marjoram. Served with smoked potato mashh

Justin · May 30, 2020

Been making dinner in steps all day and night. Last night put three belly slices in brine that I made with 100g coarse salt, 50g sugar, zest of lemon peeled off in long strips using porato peeler, 1 tsp coriander seeds and 1 tsp fennel seeds.

Mix all brine together and bring to boil while stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Then leave to cool.

I did this before bedtime then left to cool overnight. Brine pork in a bag inn fridge for 6 to 8 hours. Do first thing in morning. Meanwhile put 1/2 cup blue top and 1/3rd double cream in a bowl and cold smoke for one hour. I used maple dust in pro q eco smoker set up. Cover and refridgerate for af least an hour.

Make cider glaze

100ml I dark brown sugar, 50ml cider vinegar. 50ml dry cider. Mix together. Bring to boil and simmer slowly down to sticky syrup. Use warm.

Pork bellies rinsed and patted dry. I then bound them together with kitchen string.

Hot smoked at 175 c on wsm or what ever you are using. Make sure there is tray or bowl of water over the direct heat and once you have browned the pork put it indirect. I used sugar maple pellets in wsm i browned in skillet on hob covering bound pork with glaze and brown on all sides over high heat. I actually smoked it at 110c. For 3 hours to get to 75 to 80 internal temp. I reglazed every hour whilst it was in smoker. It could have had longer but was nice anyway.

I also cored and smoked some apples. They came out soft.

Boil 600g peeled desiree or maris piper potatoes. Mash add butter and the smoke cream milk. Stir and it will make smooth mashed potato.

Whilst boiling potatoes glaze again and rest the pork and apples under foil on chopping board. Serve mash on plate reglaze pork and cut into chunks and placed ontop of mash with smoked apples on side of plate. Top with scattering of marjoram. (I forgot the marjoram).