Pork belly baps with poached rhubarb
These pork belly baps are stuffed with cider-infused rhubarb and a spicy mayo for a taste sensation. You can also make an alternative vegetarian version using aubergine.
Ingredients
For the pork belly baps
- 1kg/2lb 4oz pork belly, boneless and skin scored
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- vegetable oil, for roasting and frying
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú mayonnaise
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- squeeze lemon juice
- 8 brioche buns, cut in half
- sea salt
- mixed salad leaves, to serve
For the poached rhubarb
- 200ml/7fl oz cloudy cider
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 rhubarb stalks, trimmed and cut into finger-length sticks
- 20ml/1fl oz grenadine syrup
For the deep-fried aubergine (vegetarian version)
- 1 large aubergine, sliced into 2cm/¾in discs
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú plain flour
- 1 free-range egg
- 50ml/2fl oz full-fat milk
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 30g/1oz mixed seeds (poppy, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin)
- 30g/1oz pin-headÌýoats
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dirty fries
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1cm/½in wide fries
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm/½in wide fries
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 banana shallot, thinly sliced
- 50ml/2fl oz full-fat milk
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú plain flour
- 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 bunch chives, finely chopped
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú soured cream
For the mayonnaise
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 150ml/5fl oz vegetable oil
- squeeze lemon juice
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- pinch smoked paprika
Method
To make the pork belly baps, place the pork in a deep saucepan, cover with water and add a couple of pinches of salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C/220C Fan/Gas 9. Remove the pork belly from the pan and pat dry with kitchen paper. Transfer to a roasting tin and add the vinegar and a good drizzle of vegetable oil. Sprinkle over a good pinch of sea salt, then rub everything into the scored skin. Roast for 30–45 minutes, keeping an eye on it, until the skin is uniformly golden and crisp, and the roasting juices run clear when you pierce the meat with a sharp knife. Remove from the oven and leave to rest.
To make the poached rhubarb, bring the cider, brown sugar, cinnamon stick and grenadine syrup to the boil in a non-reactive saucepan. Turn the heat to low, drop in the rhubarb and poach for 10 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart. Leave to cool.
If making the deep-fried aubergine as a vegetarian version, lightly season the aubergine with salt and leave for 10 minutes to draw out any moisture. Preheat a deep fat fryer to 190C. Dust the aubergine in the flour. Place the egg and milk in a shallow bowl, beat together and dip the aubergine into theÌýegg and milk. Finally dip into the oats, breadcrumb and seeds. Deep-fry for 4–5 minutes until golden and season well with salt and pepper.
To make the fries, heat the vegetable oil in a deep fat fryer or heavy-based saucepan to 140C. Fry the potato and sweet potato in the hot oil for 5 minutes. Carefully remove from the fryer with the fryer basket or a slotted spoon. Place the shallots into the milk then the flour, then deep fry for 1-2 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper. Place the cooked fries into a bowl and top with the crispy onions, spring onions, chives and soured cream.
To make the mayonnaise, mix the egg yolk with the vinegar and mustard in a bowl. Ever so slowly, trickle in the oil, whisking all the while, until you have a smooth, thick mayonnaise. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of smoked paprika and season well with salt and pepper.
Slice the pork belly into 1cm/½in slices that will fit into the baps and fry in a skillet or heavy-based frying pan with a very small amount of vegetable oil over a medium heat until crispy. To serve, fill each bun with a slice or two of pork belly, a few sticks of poached rhubarb, a small handful of salad leaves and a good drizzle of the smoky mayonnaise. Replace the pork belly with fried aubergine if making a vegetarian version.