Mary Berry Pork Belly is made with bone-in pork belly, dried thyme, mace, star anise, sea salt flakes, butter, Maris Piper potatoes, fresh thyme, pickled onions, and chicken stock. This delicious Pork Belly recipe creates a hearty dinner that takes about 3 hours to prepare and can serve up to 8-10 people.
Ingredients Needed
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp mace
- 1 star anise, ground to a powder (use a pestle and mortar)
- 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
- 2.5 kg (5½ lbs) bone-in pork belly, skin scored
- 50g (1¾ oz) butter, softened (for the tin)
- 12 medium Maris Piper potatoes
- 1 bunch thyme
- 454g (16 oz) jar pickled onions, drained
- 125ml (4¼ fl oz) chicken stock
How To Make Pork Belly
- Marinate the pork: Mix the thyme, mace, ground star anise, and sea salt flakes in a small bowl. Rub this mixture all over the pork belly. If time permits, place the pork on a tray and marinate it in the fridge for up to 24 hours (optional).
- Prepare the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7 (425°F/400°F fan). Butter a large roasting tin. Slice a thin piece off each side of the potatoes, then place them flat in one even layer in the tin. Scatter the thyme and pickled onions over the potatoes, then pour in the chicken stock.
- Roast the pork: Place the pork, skin-side up, on top of the potatoes. Roast for 30 minutes at a higher temperature.
- Lower the heat and continue roasting: Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 (350°F/325°F fan) and roast for another 1 hour 30 minutes, until the skin is crispy.
- Rest the pork: Remove the pork from the oven and transfer it to a board. Cover loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
- Crisp up the potatoes: Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 (400°F/350°F fan) and return the potatoes to the oven. Roast for another 25-30 minutes until they are crispy.
- Serve: Carve the pork into generous squares, using a bread knife if necessary. Serve the pork with fondant potatoes and caramelized pickled onions.
Recipe Tips
- Score the pork skin deeply: Make sure to score the pork belly skin deeply enough to help it crisp up properly. Use a sharp knife to cut through the fat without going into the meat.
- Marinate for extra flavor: If you have time, marinate the pork in the fridge for up to 24 hours. This gives the spices more time to soak into the meat, making it tastier.
- Dry the pork skin: Pat the skin dry with paper towels before roasting. This helps it become extra crispy in the oven.
- Use a bread knife to carve: Pork belly can be hard to slice. A bread knife, with its serrated edges, makes it much easier to cut through the crispy skin.
- Check potato size: Make sure your potatoes are medium-sized and roughly the same size. This way, they will cook evenly and get a perfect crispy finish.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: First, let the leftover pork belly cool to room temperature. Then, place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: After cooling to room temperature, wrap the pork belly tightly in foil or plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer the pork to the fridge and let it defrost overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 (350°F/325°F fan). Place the pork belly in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and heat for about 15-20 minutes until warmed through. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes to crisp up the skin.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 100g)
- Calories: 518
- Total Fat: 53g
- Saturated Fat: 19g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
- Sodium: 47mg
- Potassium: 362mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 0g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 9.3g
Try More Mary Berry Recipes:
- Mary Berry Apple Pie Recipe
- Mary Berry Salmon En Croute
- Mary Berry Lamb Casserole
- Mary Berry Plum Tarte Tatin
Mary Berry Pork Belly
Description
Mary Berry Pork Belly is made with bone-in pork belly, dried thyme, mace, star anise, sea salt flakes, butter, Maris Piper potatoes, fresh thyme, pickled onions, and chicken stock. This delicious Pork Belly recipe creates a hearty dinner that takes about 3 hours to prepare and can serve up to 8-10 people.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Marinate the pork: Mix the thyme, mace, ground star anise, and sea salt flakes in a small bowl. Rub this mixture all over the pork belly. If time permits, place the pork on a tray and marinate it in the fridge for up to 24 hours (optional).
- Prepare the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7 (425°F/400°F fan). Butter a large roasting tin. Slice a thin piece off each side of the potatoes, then place them flat in one even layer in the tin. Scatter the thyme and pickled onions over the potatoes, then pour in the chicken stock.
- Roast the pork: Place the pork, skin-side up, on top of the potatoes. Roast for 30 minutes at a higher temperature.
- Lower the heat and continue roasting: Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 (350°F/325°F fan) and roast for another 1 hour 30 minutes, until the skin is crispy.
- Rest the pork: Remove the pork from the oven and transfer it to a board. Cover loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
- Crisp up the potatoes: Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 (400°F/350°F fan) and return the potatoes to the oven. Roast for another 25-30 minutes until they are crispy.
- Serve: Carve the pork into generous squares, using a bread knife if necessary. Serve the pork with fondant potatoes and caramelized pickled onions.
Notes
- Score the pork skin deeply: Make sure to score the pork belly skin deeply enough to help it crisp up properly. Use a sharp knife to cut through the fat without going into the meat.
- Marinate for extra flavor: If you have time, marinate the pork in the fridge for up to 24 hours. This gives the spices more time to soak into the meat, making it tastier.
- Dry the pork skin: Pat the skin dry with paper towels before roasting. This helps it become extra crispy in the oven.
- Use a bread knife to carve: Pork belly can be hard to slice. A bread knife, with its serrated edges, makes it much easier to cut through the crispy skin.
- Check potato size: Make sure your potatoes are medium-sized and roughly the same size. This way, they will cook evenly and get a perfect crispy finish.
Mary Berry Pork Belly