From “The Country Cooking of Ireland,” by Colman Andrews. Call ahead to your favorite butcher for a pork belly. Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch sage, chopped
4 cups beef or chicken stock
1 pork belly, about 3 pounds
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup hard cider
8 cloves
Pinch of allspice
Pinch of cinnamon
6 tablespoons brown sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Put the onion slices in a roasting pan large enough to hold them in a single layer, then scatter the garlic and half the sage over them. Pour in the stock. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Set it on top of the onions and spoon the cider over it. Scatter the remaining sage over the pork and then the cloves, allspice and cinnamon.
Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, for 2 to 3 hours, or until the pork is very tender.
Uncover the roasting pan and coat the top of the pork with the brown sugar. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees, and continue roasting the pork, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until sugar begins to brown. Spoon pan juices over sugar crust (sugar will dissolve). Continue roasting the pork for 10 minutes more or until the top is glazed and golden.
Transfer the pork to a warmed platter, reserving the pan juices and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, reheat the pan juices, deglazing pan with a little more stock or cider, if you like. Slice the pork, then strain the juices over it.
