Recipe: Grilled pork chop with braised pork belly and cassoulet of chorizo sausage

Mar 1 2008 by Sheila Benson and Sean Millar, Liverpool Daily Post

YOU won't find this on our menus very frequently, but recently we have managed to source some wonderful Cumbrian pork, which is excellent in both quality and flavour.

We roast a whole belly of pork (which we first roll in ground, roasted spices) and serve with a coarse, wholegrain mustard mash, a little jus and some braised red cabbage. These flavours are truly a great combination, and the hearty texture of the pork makes the perfect satisfying comfort food for this time of the year.

The following recipe is a little different, in the sense that it is almost two recipes in one and admittedly it does take a little more time and effort than your average meal to prepare. However, the old adage that good things come to those who wait has never been truer in the case of this meal. You'll have to trust us when we tell you that the preparation you'll put into this meal is well worth it.

To make a grilled pork chop with braised pork belly and cassoulet of chorizo sausage for six guests you will need: 700g (1½llb) pork belly with the skin scored with a sharp knife, 7g (¼ oz) coarse sea salt, 250g (9oz) dried haricot beans, one bouquet garni (fresh thyme, rosemary and sage), one large onion, sliced, one medium carrot, halved, one small chorizo sausage or a 170g (6oz) piece, olive oil for frying, one medium onion, diced, two celery sticks, finely sliced, one bulb of garlic cloves, separated and peeled, 100g (3½oz) tomato passata, a good pinch of paprika, salt and pepper and six pork chops weighing approximately 170g (6oz) each.

The day before you plan to eat the dish, rub salt onto the skin side of the pork belly, wrap it well in cling film and refrigerate. Soak the haricot beans in cold water overnight.

The next day, pre-heat the oven to 150ºC (300ºF or Gas Mark 2). Wash the salt off the pork and place in a deep roasting tray with the bouquet garni, sliced onion and halved carrot. Cover with water, place on the cooker and heat to simmering point.

Cover with foil and put in the oven. Braise for about 1½-2 hours or until the pork is soft and tender. Remove the pork carefully, put it into a roasting dish or a large plate, cool and refrigerate as soon as possible. Reserve the cooking liquor in a large, covered container and refrigerate that as well.

Drain the soaked beans and place in a saucepan with plenty of fresh cold water. Boil vigorously for about 15 minutes and then drain. Cut the chorizo into fairly chunky pieces and fry quickly in a heavy-bottomed pan with some heated olive oil. Add the diced onion, celery, garlic, the part-cooked beans, tomato passata and paprika.

Remove the fat that has risen to the top of the reserved braising liquor (and solidified) and add 15-30ml (1-2tbsp) of the fat to the bean and chorizo mixture at this point.

Next, add enough of the braising liquor to cover the beans and chorizo. Cover the pan and cook very gently either on the hob or in a slow oven 150ºC (300ºF or Gas Mark 2) stirring from time to time and adding more liquor or water as necessary. It will take about 1½ hours for the beans to soften. Once they are quite soft, season (adding salt to the beans before they have softened makes them hard).

Turn the oven up to 200ºC (400ºF or Gas Mark 6). Cut the pork belly into 5cm (2 in) squares and place on a baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes to finish and crisp the skin. Cook the pork chops in a hot frying pan, with a little olive oil until well browned on each side and just cooked.

To serve, spoon a ladle full of cassoulet beans onto six large warmed bowls and put some pork belly and a chop on top of each one. A feast you definitely find is worth waiting for.

* Sheila Benson and Sean Millar are at The Side Door, 29a Hope Street, Liverpool. Tel: 0151 707 7888.