Coffee Pinotage loves mild spices, as used here as a rub for the pork, as well as the sweeter root veges like beetroot, carrot and parsnips. The textures and flavours bring out the best in our Barista Pinotage making wine and food decidedly more “moreish”!
INGREDIENTS
Crispy pork belly
1kg free-range pork belly, fatty side scored
1/2 cup Maldon salt
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
Beetroot relish
500ml white wine vinegar
750g sugar
Enough beets to make 6 cups grated or finely cubed beet
2 onions or shallots
45g corn flour (dissolved in a dash of cold water)
15g curry powder
5g salt
2 aniseed pods
1/2 tsp ginger powder
Young vegetables
Baby carrots (different colours), turnips & beetroots
chunk of butter
freshly squeezed orange juice
dollop of honey
METHOD
Crispy pork belly
1. Rub (“massage”) 5 spice into the belly and let it “marry” for 4 hours.
2. Transfer belly to vacuum-sealed bag and cook in slow cooker on low setting for 8 hours.
3. Transfer belly to baking tray, pat dry with paper towel, cool to room temperature and rub salt into the scored fatty side.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 230 C until skin is crisp. Remove from oven. Rest the pork for 10 minutes.
Beetroot relish
1. Grill beets until they are tender.
2. Mix vinegar and sugar on low heat until all the sugar has dissolved (make sure not to cook).
3. Slice onion finely and add to vinegar and sugar mixture. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add curry, salt, aniseed and ginger powder and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Add beet and enough cornflour to thicken the mixture.
6. Transfer to sterilized glass jars.
Young vegetables
1. Parboil vegetables, making sure they are not done.
2. Melt butter, honey & orange juice in saucepan.
3. Add vegetables and cook until al dente.
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