Slow-Cooked Jerk Pork Belly Recipe

Ingredients

• 2.25kg (5lb) piece British pork belly, bones removed and skin scored (your butcher will do this)

for the jerk seasoning

• 6 spring onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1-3 Scotch bonnet chillies (1 for mildly hot)
• 1tsp ground allspice
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tsp nutmeg
• 1tsp brown sugar
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp black pepper
• 2tsp dried oregano
• 65ml (2½fl oz) fresh lemon juice
• 1tbsp oil

Method

1. To make the jerk seasoning, simply put all the ingredients into a blender and whizz to a paste. You'll only need about two-thirds of it but the rest will keep in the fridge for up to a week (toss in cubes of chicken and grill for a quick supper).

2. Heat the oven to 150 C, 130 C fan, 300 F, gas 2. Turn the pork upside down and make slashes in the flesh but not the skin, around 2cm (¾in) apart. Rub over the paste, pushing it into the flesh. If you can, leave the pork to marinate in the fridge overnight. Wrap in foil with the flesh side up, put into a roasting tin and bake for 2 hours 30 minutes, turning it skin side up halfway through.

3. Now increase the heat to high, around 220 C, 200 C fan, 425 F, gas 7, roll back the foil to expose the skin and roast until the skin crackles, around 20 minutes. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes then cut into slices. It's delicious served with a pineapple salsa (chopped pineapple, chilli, coriander and a squeeze of lime juice) and some roasted summer squash.