Pork belly with cannellini beans and salsa verde

Name: Pork belly with cannellini beans and salsa verde
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp of fennel seeds; 1 tsp flaky sea salt; 1 lemon, zest only; 6 black peppercorns; 8 pork belly strips; 300g of dried cannellini beans, (soaked overnight); 800ml of stock, or water; 1 banana shallot, cut lengthways in quarters; 1 sprig of rosemary; 1 sprig of sage; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped; 20g of parsley, chopped; 1/2 banana shallot, very finely chopped; 3 anchovies, finely chopped; 1 tbsp of capers, roughly chopped; 1/2 garlic clove, minced; 1 lemon, zested and half the juice; 2 tsp white wine vinegar; 60ml of olive oil; salt; pepper; 1 fennel; 1/2 lemon, juiced; extra virgin olive oil

by GBC Kitchen

Item 1 of 1

Main
easy
4
1 hour 40 minutes

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

5.00

This slow-cooked pork belly recipe is bursting with the flavours of Italian summer – crunchy fennel, fresh salsa verde and braised cannellini beans, which are made extra tasty from the rendered pork fat. Though you need a good couple of hours to cook it properly, it's simple and delicious – perfect for a dinner party where you want to spend time with your guests.

First published in 2019

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Pork belly strips are easily available from every supermarket, yet people don't always know what to do with them. This is a great example of getting the most from your pork belly – first the strips are browned off in a pan for colour, then they're gently braised until tender, so the ribbons of fat melt into the beans giving them unbelievable flavour for such a simple recipe.

A punchy salsa verde is whipped up at the end and folded through the beans, cutting through the rich meaty flavour and giving the dish a wonderful Italian summer vibe. Enjoy with a chilled glass of your favourite white wine.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Fennel rub

Cannellini beans

300g of dried cannellini beans, (soaked overnight)
800ml of stock, or water
1 banana shallot, cut lengthways in quarters
1 sprig of rosemary
1 sprig of sage
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

Salsa verde

20g of parsley, chopped
1/2 banana shallot, very finely chopped
3 anchovies, finely chopped
1 tbsp of capers, roughly chopped
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 lemon, zested and half the juice
2 tsp white wine vinegar
60ml of olive oil
salt
pepper

Raw fennel salad

1 fennel
1/2 lemon, juiced
extra virgin olive oil

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Equipment

Pestle and mortar
Mandoline

Method

At least one hour before cooking, but preferably the evening before, marinate the pork with the fennel rub. Using a mortar and pestle, grind up the fennel seeds, peppercorns and salt to a coarse rub. Fold in the lemon zest then apply evenly over each of the pork belly strips. Cover and leave to cure overnight

Also the evening before, place the beans in a bowl of water so they are submerged by about 5cm and leave to soak overnight in the fridge

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Rinse the cure off the pork belly with cold water to prevent it tasting too salty, then pat dry thoroughly with kitchen towel

Place a pan over a high heat with a splash of oil, and once smoking add the pork belly and colour each strip on all sides. You may need to cook the pork belly in batches to make sure your pan stays hot

Drain the beans and place in a large overproof dish with the stock, rosemary, sage, garlic and shallot

Once the pork belly strips are well caramelised all over, place them on top of the beans and cover with a lid or tin foil. Place in the oven and cook for 60–90 minutes or until the beans are cooked through

After about 45 minutes, remove the lid or tin foil to let the stock reduce

To make the salsa verde, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper

Prepare a quick shaved fennel salad by shaving the fennel finely on a mandoline and place into a bowl of ice water to crisp up. Just before serving, drain the fennel and dress with a squeeze of lemon juice and some extra virgin olive oil

Once the beans are cooked through, remove the pork from the top and then fold through the salsa verde

Divide the beans between your plates, top with pork belly and finish with some shaved fennel salad

First published in 2019

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GBC Kitchen

GBC Kitchen is where you'll find accessible, inspiring recipes with a twist, from our in-house team of recipe developers. Perfect for mid-week meals or special occasions alike, GBC Kitchen recipes will help you become a more confident cook, and impress those around you in the meantime!

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