Ingredients

• 1kg/2lb 2oz belly pork
• fat scored with a sharp knife
• 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cloves
• 2 Granny Smith apples
• peeled
• cored and sliced
• 2 large Navel oranges
• thickly sliced
• 200ml/7fl oz organic medium cider
• plus extra for basting
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 onion
• peeled
• finely sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 star anise
• 1 bay leaf
• 500g/1lb 2oz red cabbage
• core removed
• finely sliced
• 125ml/4½fl oz organic medium cider
• 2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 110g/4oz blanched almonds
• 2 tsp groundnut oil

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• For the pork belly
• boil a kettle and pour the boiling water over the pork skin
• discarding the water.
• Pat the pork belly dry
• using kitchen paper
• then rub the salt over the skin
• pressing them into the score marks.
• Place the cinnamon sticks
• cloves
• sliced apples
• oranges and cider into the bottom of a roasting tin. Place the pork belly on top and roast for one hour in the middle of the oven. Then
• reduce the temperature to 140C/275F/Gas 1 and cook for 2 hours. Add more cider to the bottom of the roasting tin if all the liquid evaporates.
• Once cooked
• remove the pork belly from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile
• for the mulled cider cabbage
• melt the butter in a lidded pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 4-5 minutes
• or until softened. Add the cinnamon stick
• nutmeg
• star anise and bay leaf and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cabbage
• cider and sugar until well combined and the sugar has dissolved. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Bring the mixture to the boil and reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer over a low heat
• stirring occasionally
• for 1-1½ hours
• or until the cabbage is tender and the liquid has evaporated. Remove the star anise and cinnamon stick and stir in the redcurrant jelly.
• For the salted almonds
• mix the almonds and oil in a bowl and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes
• or until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• To serve
• carve the pork belly into squares. Spoon some mulled cider cabbage into the centre of each of 8 serving plates
• top with a piece of pork belly and spoon over some cooking juices. Garnish with the roast almonds.