Loading recipe…

Loading recipes…

Slow Cooker Cider-Braised Pork Belly with Fennel and Prunes | DadTheFoodie

Slow Cooker Cider-Braised Pork Belly with Fennel and Prunes recipe photograph

Instructions

Pat the pork belly dry and season it lightly with salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches, turning until golden on several sides. Transfer it to the slow cooker.
Add the onions, carrots and fennel to the frying pan and cook for 4–5 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then tip the vegetables into the slow cooker.
Pour the cider into the frying pan and scrape up any browned bits from the base. Let it bubble for 2 minutes, then pour it into the slow cooker with the chicken stock.
Add the prunes, Dijon mustard, sage, bay leaf and baby potatoes. Stir gently so the pork is mostly covered by the liquid.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the pork is very tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Do not lift the lid more than necessary during cooking.
Remove the sage sprigs and bay leaf. Skim off excess fat from the surface if needed. Mix the cornflour with the cold water, stir it into the hot casserole and cover again for 10 minutes on high, or until the gravy has thickened. Alternatively, transfer the liquid to a saucepan and simmer it briefly with the cornflour mixture.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then scatter over the parsley. Serve with steamed greens or crusty bread.

Equipment needed

Recommended slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Measuring jug
Small bowl

Swaps and substitutions

pork belly → 900 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
The finished dish will be leaner; trim only obvious excess fat.
dry cider → 500 ml cloudy apple juice plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
This gives a sweeter, alcohol-free version; reduce the prunes to 100 g if preferred.
prunes → 150 g dried apricots
The flavour will be fruitier and slightly sharper.
fennel bulb → 2 trimmed leeks, thickly sliced
Add them with the onions and carrots.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes
Batch cooking: Suitable for batch cooking
Storage: Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container within two hours. Keep for up to 3 days. Store the pork and gravy separately from any accompanying vegetables where possible. Defrost: Defrost frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat from fully thawed until piping hot throughout, stirring the gravy before serving.
Reheating: Reheat thoroughly in a saucepan over a medium heat or in the microwave, stirring as needed, until piping hot throughout. Add a splash of water or stock if the gravy has thickened too much. Only reheat once.
Leftover ideas: Shred leftover pork through the gravy and serve over mashed potato, or use it as a filling for toasted rolls with shredded cabbage and a little mustard.

Allergen information

Check the chicken stock cube and Dijon mustard label for allergens, particularly celery, mustard and any wheat-containing ingredients. Cider may not be suitable for everyone; use the suggested alcohol-free substitution if needed.

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

My private notes

Cook & print

Start Cook Mode

Recipe info

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 360 min
Servings: 4

Rate this recipe

Made this recipe?

Collections

Add to meal plan

Ingredients

Recipe serves 4

Adjust servings

Cooking time may not change in direct proportion to serving size.

900 g boneless pork belly, skin removed and cut into 4 cm pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium brown onions, sliced
2 carrots, cut into thick slices
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500 ml dry cider
250 ml chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube
150 g ready-to-eat dried prunes, halved
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 fresh sage sprigs
1 bay leaf
500 g baby potatoes, halved if large
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper

Find recipes using similar ingredients

DadTheFoodiewww.dadthefoodie.com

Slow cooker

Tags: Slow cooker, Pork, Casserole, Cider, Family dinner, One-pot meals, Autumn recipes

Slow Cooker Cider-Braised Pork Belly with Fennel and Prunes

Name: Slow Cooker Cider-Braised Pork Belly with Fennel and Prunes
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 385 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 900 g boneless pork belly, skin removed and cut into 4 cm pieces; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 medium brown onions, sliced; 2 carrots, cut into thick slices; 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 500 ml dry cider; 250 ml chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube; 150 g ready-to-eat dried prunes, halved; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 2 fresh sage sprigs; 1 bay leaf; 500 g baby potatoes, halved if large; 2 teaspoons cornflour; 1 tablespoon cold water; 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped; 1 pinch salt; 1 pinch black pepper

Pork belly is gently braised in dry cider with fennel, carrots and prunes until tender, creating a rich but balanced family supper. Serve it with mashed potato, crusty bread or steamed greens to soak up the savoury cider gravy.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 6 hrs
Total: 6 hr 25 min
Servings: 4

Equipment

Slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Measuring jug
Small bowl

Ingredients

900 g boneless pork belly, skin removed and cut into 4 cm pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium brown onions, sliced
2 carrots, cut into thick slices
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500 ml dry cider
250 ml chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube
150 g ready-to-eat dried prunes, halved
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 fresh sage sprigs
1 bay leaf
500 g baby potatoes, halved if large
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper

Substitutions

pork belly → 900 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into large chunks (The finished dish will be leaner; trim only obvious excess fat.)
dry cider → 500 ml cloudy apple juice plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar (This gives a sweeter, alcohol-free version; reduce the prunes to 100 g if preferred.)
prunes → 150 g dried apricots (The flavour will be fruitier and slightly sharper.)
fennel bulb → 2 trimmed leeks, thickly sliced (Add them with the onions and carrots.)

Instructions

Pat the pork belly dry and season it lightly with salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches, turning until golden on several sides. Transfer it to the slow cooker.
Add the onions, carrots and fennel to the frying pan and cook for 4–5 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then tip the vegetables into the slow cooker.
Pour the cider into the frying pan and scrape up any browned bits from the base. Let it bubble for 2 minutes, then pour it into the slow cooker with the chicken stock.
Add the prunes, Dijon mustard, sage, bay leaf and baby potatoes. Stir gently so the pork is mostly covered by the liquid.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the pork is very tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Do not lift the lid more than necessary during cooking.
Remove the sage sprigs and bay leaf. Skim off excess fat from the surface if needed. Mix the cornflour with the cold water, stir it into the hot casserole and cover again for 10 minutes on high, or until the gravy has thickened. Alternatively, transfer the liquid to a saucepan and simmer it briefly with the cornflour mixture.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then scatter over the parsley. Serve with steamed greens or crusty bread.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes

Suitable for batch cooking

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container within two hours. Keep for up to 3 days. Store the pork and gravy separately from any accompanying vegetables where possible. Defrost: Defrost frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat from fully thawed until piping hot throughout, stirring the gravy before serving.

Reheat thoroughly in a saucepan over a medium heat or in the microwave, stirring as needed, until piping hot throughout. Add a splash of water or stock if the gravy has thickened too much. Only reheat once.

Shred leftover pork through the gravy and serve over mashed potato, or use it as a filling for toasted rolls with shredded cabbage and a little mustard.

Allergen information

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

Slow Cooker Cider-Braised Pork Belly with Fennel and Prunes

Instructions

Equipment needed

Swaps and substitutions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

My private notes

Slow Cooker Cider-Braised Pork Belly with Fennel and Prunes

Equipment

Ingredients

Substitutions

Instructions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

Community comments

Share how your recipe turned out