Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Sauerkraut

Slow roasted pork is tender and succulent. This is a perfect, hearty roast for a Sunday lunch and can be enjoyed together with the family or friends.

It takes some time to cook, this should not shy you away from trying it though as the preparation takes less then 10 minutes and is very simple but the outcome is impressive.

In the unlikely event that you have some leftovers, you can just re-heat them the next day for a quick lunch. Personally, I like it even better when it's re-heated...

Ingredients (for 4 people):

  • 1 large porks belly, with skin scored
  • 800g Sauerkraut (jar)
  • 400g new potatoes, cut in half 
  • 2 large shallots (or 1 medium onion)
  • 6-8 juniper berries
  • 1 tbsp medium mustard
  • 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
  • 180ml dry white wine
  • 180ml water
  • salt and pepper 

Method: 

  1. Heat the oven to 120C-130C degrees (fan).
  2. Cut the shallots into fine slices and place in the middle of a roasting tin.
  3. To prepare the pork, rub some salt into the skin. Then mix together the crushed fennel seeds, some pepper and salt. First, rub the mustard and then the spice mix well into the meat but not the skin.
  4. Place the pork skin side up on top the shallots in the roasting tin.
  5. Pour in half the amount of white wine and roughly the same amount of water.
  6. Cover the tin with alminium foil and slide into the oven, roast for at least 2 hours.
  7. After two hours, remove the foil, take the meat out and put aside on a plate. Then put the sauerkraut with the juniper berries and the potatoes into the rosating tin, distribute evenly and add the remaining wine and some more water, until the veggies are almost but not fully covered. Add some more salt, about a teaspoon or so. Now place the pork on top of the sauerkraut and slide the roasting tin back into the oven, uncovered, and roast for at least another hour or so until the potatoes are fully cooked and the liquid has reduced to about half.
  8. Stir the sauerkraut/potato mix, then increase the heat of the oven to about 200C and let the pork roast for another 30 minutes until the skin starts to crisp nicely. Cooking time depends on how crispy you like the skin, you can add or remove 10 minutes.
  9. To serve, cut the pork into thick slices and spoon the sauerkraut and potatoes around it.

Preparation time: < 10mins   Cooking time: 4-5 hrs