A taste of Annabel Langbein's new book

from the farmCrispy Pork BellyThe key to great pork crackling is to dry the skin side of the meat well before sprinklingit with salt. Blast the pork in a hot oven to begin with to get the skin crunchy, thenslow cook it for a further hour and a half in a bath of milk, which makes it really moistand tender. This is a very traditional Italian way to cook pork belly – one I learned fromElizabeth David’s books.Prep time 5 minsCook time 2 hoursServes 61–1.2kg pork belly, skin scoredground black pepper1 tsp salt2–3 sage leaves500–625ml milkTo serve:Roasted Pepper PestoPreheat oven to 240˚C. Pat the skin of the meat dry and season theflesh side with pepper and half the salt. Sprinkle the sage leaveson the bottom of a baking dish (do not use a glass baking dish or itmight shatter when you add the milk) and put the pork on top, skinside up. Season the top with the remaining salt.Roast for 20–30 minutes at 240˚C until the skin is starting to blisterand crackle. Watch closely for burning.Pour the milk around the meat to come about half to two thirds ofthe way up the sides of the pork. Reduce the heat to 160˚C and roastfor a further 1½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender. Checkthe level of liquid during cooking and if it has evaporated add a littlemore to the pan.Remove the pork from the oven, lift it out of the dish and allow it tocool. Discard the liquids, which break into curds.For easy cutting, place the meat flesh side up on a chopping boardand use a heavy, sharp knife to cut it into slices about 3–4cm thick.Serve warm or at room temperature with Roasted Pepper Pesto.from the farmshare on facebook... share on twitter... buy the book... get newsletter...