PORK BELLY & CABBAGE

PORK BELLY & CABBAGE image

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 8

1.4 kg (3 lb) lean belly of pork, skinned and cut into 4 serving pieces
1 garlic clove
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50 g (2 oz) butter
1 medium-sized firm white cabbage
6-8 black peppercorns
15 ml (1 tbsp) caraway seeds
celery leaves, to garnish

Steps:

1. Peel the garlic clove and cut it into 4 lengthways. Make an incision in each piece of pork and push a sliver of garlic into each one. Season them all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 2. Melt the butter in a large flameproof casserole and brown the pork all over (if your pan is not large enough for the meat to brown in one layer, brown it in a roasting tin and then transfer to a casserole and pour the fat over). 3. Cut the cabbage in half with a sharp knife. Remove the hard central core and ribs and cut the cabbage into thin wedges. Add the black peppercorns, caraway seeds and salt to taste and pack around the pork in the casserole. 4. Cover the casserole tightly, place over a low heat and simmer very, very gently for 1 1/2 hours, stirring from time to time to prevent the cabbage and pork from sticking to the bottom. Do not add any water unless absolutely necessary; the cabbage should cook in its own juices and those of the pork. 5. Ten minutes before the end of the cooking time heat a large, shallow serving dish. When the pork and cabbage are tender, arrange a bed of cabbage on the dish and place the pork on top. Skim any fat from the remaining pan juices and pour over the entire dish. Serve very hot, garnished with celery leaves. serving amount serves 4