Rum and Honey Chilli-Glazed Pork Belly Bites
- 500g British pork belly slices
- Flaked sea salt
- 10-12 long canapé skewers
- For the Rum and Honey Chilli Glaze
- 150ml Goslings Black Seal Bermuda Rum
- 3 tbsp clear honey
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp chilli paste
- 1 star anise
- Pinch of ground cloves
- For the Spiced Apple Butter
- 500g JAZZ™ apples, cored and quartered
- 60ml apple cider vinegar
- 120ml water
- Generous pinch flaked sea salt
- 85g packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp allspice
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Pat the pork belly slices dry with kitchen roll, then place them onto a roasting pan with a rack, with the fatty side facing up. Add a layer of water to the bottom of the pan, making sure the water doesn’t touch the meat. Rub the top of the slices with flaked sea salt and roast until the pork is soft and the crackling is dark and completely crispy, about one hour and 15 minutes.
While the pork belly is cooking, prepare the glaze. Combine the rum, honey, soy sauce, chilli paste, star anise, and ground cloves in a small pan and heat over a medium heat. Whisk well, and once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat a little and simmer for 12-15 minutes until it’s cooked down into a slightly thickened syrup. The glaze will continue to thicken as it rests, so don’t overcook or it will become too sticky. Remove the star anise and set the glaze aside to cool while the pork belly cooks. If it has thickened too much by the time the pork is ready, simply heat over a low heat for a minute or so to loosen it up again (adding a small splash of water if needed).
To make the spiced apple butter core and quarter the apples without peeling them. Place the apples in a medium saucepan, along with the vinegar, water, and salt. Simmer on a medium/low heat, partially covered, for 20-30 minutes until the apples are completely soft, stirring occasionally throughout. Transfer the apples and liquid to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the apple sauce back into the pot, leaving it off the heat while adding the sugar and spices.
Stir in the sugar and spices, then simmer the apple sauce over a medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes to keep the apple butter from burning. Once the apple butter has started to thicken and turn dark brown, reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer for another 20-30 minutes until the apple butter has reached the consistency of your preference.
Once the pork belly is cooked and crispy, cut the slices into bite-sized pieces and place them onto canapé skewers, two to three pieces per skewer. Brush each piece with a generous amount of glaze and serve with spiced apple butter for dipping.
CREDIT: jazzapple.com
