In our series of recipes in partnership with The Good Grocer, we’ve called on top chefs to help ring in the festive season in style.
This festive season, in partnership with The Good Grocer, WA Good Food Guide drew on its network of talented chefs and set them a challenge: fill their basket at any of The Good Grocer stores and put together a recipe that speaks both of the season and their own unique style, to share with us and you.
Brian Cole, Chef de Cuisine at Hearth Restaurant and our WAGFG Young Chef of the Year, knows that pork is a classic at this time of year, and he’s gone all out with a pork belly recipe, glazed with chorizo caramel, with seasonal stone fruits to cut the richness. Start this recipe 4–5 days ahead.
Linley Valley pork belly, with stone fruits, capsicum, chorizo and pork jus
Serves 4-6
1L water
50 g salt
1 kg Linley Valley Pork Belly
1 bay leaf
1 large garlic clove
2 thyme sprigs
1-2 stone fruits of your choice
Micro red cabbage, to serve
Pork jus (see note)
500 g chicken wings
500 g pork bones
200 ml red wine
100 ml red wine vinegar
50 g brown sugar
1 garlic clove
10 g thyme
1 bay leaf
5 g black peppercorns
Capsicum purée
500 g red capsicum
70 g brown onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
25 g brown sugar
100 g vegetable stock
Chorizo caramel
150 g chorizo
Olive oil, for drizzling
100 g palm sugar
100 g boiling water
1 star anise
50 g soy sauce
Start by brining the pork. Combine the water and salt, stirring to dissolve, to create a salt brine. Submerge the pork in the brine, add the bay, garlic, and thyme, then refrigerate for 24 hours.
The next day, rinse the pork under cold water to remove excess salt and discard the brine. Transfer pork to a wire rack set over a baking tray and leave it uncovered in the fridge for 4–5 days (or for 45 minutes to 1 hour in an air fryer set at 200°C) to dry out the skin (this will help you achieve that perfect crisp finish).
For the pork jus, roast the chicken wings and the pork bones in a 180°C oven until nicely golden and caramelised. Add the roasted bones to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer, skimming the surface of the liquid as you go to remove impurities. Simmer for 6-8 hours, then strain the stock through a fine sieve, reserving the liquid and discarding the bones. Transfer stock to a clean saucepan, and simmer on medium-low heat until it coats the back of a spoon and has a sauce-like consistency.
Meanwhile, combine the red wine, red wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, thyme, bay and peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer until thick, with a syrup-like consistency. Season the jus to taste with the reduction.
For the capsicum purée, char the capsicum over open flame, or roast in a 180°C oven until slightly burnt, then combine with onions, garlic, sugar and vegetable stock in a saucepan over low heat. Cook until vegetables are soft and stock has evaporated, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve, pushing it through with the back of a spoon, and set aside until needed.
For the chorizo caramel, add the chorizo to a food processor and blitz until it forms a paste. Transfer to a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil and stir over low heat until the oil has been released from the chorizo. Add palm sugar, water, star anise and soy sauce and stir over low heat until reduced, thickened and a syrupy consistency. Set aside until needed.
When you’re ready to cook the pork, heat the oven to 240°C. Poke the skin all over with a skewer, then roast for 30–40 minutes until just cooked through. Rest for 30 minutes, then when you’re ready to serve, brush the pork with chorizo caramel and return to the oven for 2–3 minutes until caramelised.
Carve pork into 4-6 slices and arrange on plates, then top with thinly sliced stone fruit. Spoon some capsicum purée onto the plate, then sauce with pork jus. Finish it all with some micro red cabbage.
Note: If you don’t want to make the stock yourself, The Good Grocer have a large range of stock and gravy products. A good option is The Stock Merchant – their stocks, sauces and bone broths are made the traditional way, with no salt, flavour enhancers, gluten, preservatives or additives.
Australian owed, they work with local producers providing free-range chicken, grass-fed cattle, sustainably harvested shellfish and pristine vegetables and herbs.
