So the pork recipe worked brilliantly :)

[beren_writes]

Slow cooked Pork Belly Stew

This is based on a recipe ihlanya gave me :).

Ingredients

• Stew pack of veg from Morrisons (small swede, large parsnip, 3 carrots, 1 onion) - but you could use anything you happen to have
  
• 2 large potatoes
  
• 1 belly pork joint (doesn't matter what size, just enough to feed however many)
  
• 1/2 bottle cider (~250ml)
  
• 3/4 pint chicken stock
  
• soy sauce
  
• rosemary

Instructions

1. Chop all the root veg into about the same size chunks
   
2. Chop the onion and sweat off until soft in a pan (I didn't do this this time and the onion came out much rubberier than last time, so it's worth the effort)
   
3. Add them all to the slow cooker and add the cider and stock to cover the veg.
   
4. Add a splash of soy sauce, salt and pepper and a sprinkle of rosemary and stir.
   
5. Slash the top of the belly pork joint and rub it all over with soy sauce and a sprinkling of rosemary.
   
6. Brown each side in a frying pan.
   
7. Lie it on top of the veg in the slow cooker.
   
8. Turn on high and leave for at least six hours, or double the time on low. (I did mine for 8 1/2 because it was after that Rob came home, but I had to add a little more stock at hour six).
   
9. Just before the end of cooking, carefully remove the skin from the belly joint (it was so easy I only used a knife for neatness and never had to move the joint from the pot ;))
   
10. Fry the skin gently in a frying pan until crisp (or do it under the grill if you prefer)

The pork was melty and delicious and the veggies were amazing. Rob declared it better than the pubs :D - we have a pub down the road that does the most amazing slow roast belly pork to which we compare all other belly pork. Up until yesterday they had the best anywhere we had eaten it in the world.