Herb, Honey Mustard Murray Valley Pork Belly With Jalapeno Fennel & Apple Slaw {GF & DF}
I’m back with with another cracking recipe to finish the week off in style. Can I introduce my Herb, Honey Mustard Murray Valley Pork Belly With Jalapeno Fennel & Apple Slaw. This recipe is a little bit lighter and a little bit fresher but equally as delicious as Monday’s recipe - Murray Valley Roast Pork With Quinoa & Fig Stuffing. (Make sure you go and check that out too) What a way to finish the week with this stunning recipe. I mean who can go past pork belly. Not me.
{ I am working with Murray Valley Pork for this post, but please note that all opinions are my own on the product. } A special thanks to North Point Meats Toowoomba for supplying the pork. If you would love to learn more about Murray Valley pork check out my post on Monday.
The key to enjoying a nice piece of pork belly is the crispy skin. The combination of the succulent belly meat finished with the crunch and saltiness of the crackling really makes for a delightful mouthful. Add a little Herb, Honey Mustard marinade to belly meat, some fresh crunch and bite from the Jalapeno, Fennel & Apple slaw and you have a meal made in heaven.
My intention for this recipe was for a lighter alternative for Christmas dinner than a heavy roast meal such as Monday’s recipe. If you don’t feel like a roast with all the trimmings but still want something special than this Herb, Honey Mustard Murray Valley Pork Belly With Jalapeno Fennel & Apple Slaw really is the perfect alternative. It not only looks really spectacular served on a platter but your guests will be coming back for seconds.
Hubby and I were really pleasantly surprised at how much we loved this cut of pork. We hadn’t been a bit fan of pork belly in the past until we tried Murray Valley Pork. Murray Valley Pork Belly had just the right combination of fat and belly meat to create a succulently cooked belly. The small layer of fat between the meat literally melted in your mouth along with the meat in every mouthful. Even the next day it tasted equally as delicious if not better. When you have such an amazing piece of meat such as Murray Valley Pork Belly then you want to cook it just right. Let’s talk how.
The key to achieving an amazing crackling from a fantastic piece of meat from Murray Valley Pork is the preparation. Preparation is the key, my friend. As I mentioned in Monday’s post, you need to make sure you score or cut the skin of the pork making sure you cut only into the layer of fat. Scoring the meat helps the salt get into all the crevices and draw the moisture out and create the most fantastic crackling. I recommend salting the skin for at least an hour or longer if you have time and then removing the salt and patting the skin dry until there is no more moisture left. Oiling the skin and placing into a roaring hot oven helps the skin to roast quickly and sizzle and crisp up nicely. I mean look at the picture below. Drool-worthy.
I hope you bookmark or download and print this recipe as part of your Christmas menu this year! If you are looking for a Murray Valley Pork stockist check out their website to search for your local stockist.
Herb, Honey Mustard Murray Valley Pork Belly With Jalapeno Fennel & Apple Slaw
Prep Time: 30 min + resting
Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 min
Ingredients (Serves 6)
- 3 kg Murray Valley Pork Belly
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 4 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup honey, warmed until runny
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 purple cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 granny smith apples, cut into matchsticks
- 1 small fennel bulb, finely sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup store-bought garlic aioli
- 2 tbsp pickled jalapeno's, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp pickled jalapeno's, roughly chopped
- Mini brioche buns
Instructions
Preparing The PorkRemove the rind on pork belly from its packaging and pat the skin dry with paper towel.
Score the skin with a sharp knife along the width of the of the belly leaving about a 1cm gap between each score line.
Spread the salt over the scored skin and massage into the score lines. Place back into the fridge and let the salt draw out the moisture for at least 1 hour if not 2.
Herb, Honey Mustard MarinadeIn a small jug add the fresh herbs, honey, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper. Mix to combine the marinade and set aside.
Jalapeno, Fennel & Apple SlawIn a large salad bowl add the cabbage, apple, fennel, carrot, parsley and jalapeno's and toss to combine. Toss the garlic aioli through the slaw just before serving. Place into the fridge until ready to serve.
Cooking The PorkPreheat oven to 220C (fan bake). Remove the pork from the fridge and remove the excess salt from the skin. Pat the skin completely dry with paper towel to remove any excess moisture. This is important to get crispy crackling.
Pour half of the Herb, Honey Mustard Marinade into the bottom of a large roasting tin along with 1/4 cup of water and place the pork belly on top of the marinade.
Drizzle some olive oil over the skin of the pork and massage into the score lines. Place into the hot oven for 55 minutes turning down to 180C and cook for a further 30 minutes. Add a little more water if necessary to the roasting pan during the cooking process. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Remove from the pan and slice into thick slices. Garnish with parsley and jalapeno's and serve with slaw and mini brioche buns. Serve the remaining Herb, Honey Mustard dressing with the pork to use as a dressing.
Cooks Notes- The slaw can be made a day ahead but leave adding the aioli until just before serving as it will wilt the ingredients.
- The Herb, Honey Mustard marinade can be made a day ahead.
- The leftover pork can be kept in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
