Pork belly with orange drippings and crispy fried cranberry cabbage

We love us a good Pork Belly with that crispy pork crackling. Using only the finest pork from The Flying Pig in Limpopo, we fired up the WeberSA, added our sustainably sourced CUE the BBQ and prepped for an indirect heat masterclass.

To compliment this amazing cut of meat we dressed it with a homemade orange sauce and rested it on a bed of cranberry infused crispy fried cabbage. And to finish it off I added some duck fat roasted potatoes. Beat that braai masters🔥🔥🔥🔥

Pork Belly with Orange drippings and crispy fried cranberry cabbage

Prep Time: 20min – Excluding a 24hr dry brine in the fridge

Cooking Time: +-2.30min

Feeds How Many – 6

Ingredients

Pork

• 1 x square cut Flying Pig Pork Belly – Bone out
• 2 x Oranges
• 2 x Apple
• 1 x 200ml Fresh Apple Juice
• 2 x tbsp Chinese 5 spice – or Pork dry rub
• 1 x tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 x tbsp Thyme
• Salt – Course salt for skin
• 1 x tbsp Olive oil

Orange Drippings

• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1 x tbsp Corn starch
• ¼ tsp salt
• 20 whole cloves in cheese cloth bag
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• Zest of 1 whole orange – 2 tbsp
• 1 cup Orange Juice – Fresh
• 4 slices/Segments orange

The Cabbage

• 1 x half red cabbage
• Handful dried cranberries
• 1 x tbsp Sunflower oil
• 1 X tsp redwine vinegar
• 1 x tsp Garlic powder
• 1 x tsp Onion powder
• 1 x tsp sugar

The Pork Belly

In preparation: A day prior to firing up your Weber, ensure your Pork Belly is defrosted and pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Score the skin side without cutting down into the meat. Now place a liberal amount of course salt on the skin side and place in the fridge for 24 hours – Leaving it to dry brine – The salt draws moisture out of the skin which allows for that extra crispy skin.

Braai day – Remove Pork Belly from the fridge 30min prior to braaiing, remove all excess salt from skin.

Grap a roasting pan and lay down a large sleeve of heavy-duty aluminium foil. Slice your oranges and apples and place them at the bottom of the pan. Now add all your dry spice ingredients over the fruit.

Place your Pork Belly on top of the bed of fruit. Apply the tsp of olive all to the skin and salt again. Pour in your fresh apple juice around the belly. Now wrap the aluminium upwards and with a piece of butcher’s twine, tie around the Pork Belly, just below the skin section. This seals in the meat portion of the belly but still exposes the skin.

Making us of indirect method in your weber, light your Cue-the BBQ lump wood. Do not make use of briquettes as the chemicals used in the making of briquettes alters the taste of the meat.

Insert your meat thermometer and set to a temp of 74degrees. With both bottom and top vents of your weber open, ensure the lid vents are postioned above the meat and not the lumpwood.

Cook for around 2hours 20min or until desired temp is reached.

The Sauce

Place all ingredients in a cast iron pan over medium heat/coals. Heat until thickened. Remove the cloves pouch and discard, add orange slices and remove pan from heat and rest for 10min. Now remove the orange slices and transfer sauce to a serving mug.

The Cabbage

Heat your oil up, add in your shredded cabbage and mix. Add in your dry spices, sugar and vinegar and mix well, cooking for around 15min, stirring occasionally. Around 4 minutes prior to finishing add in your dried cranberries.

Serve immediately.

Ranger Tip

As this is a Pork Belly, I always score the skin side and make use of the scoring to portion/cut my pork belly into serving portions.