YesA few years ago, while strolling through a South London market with friends, I ate one of the best sandwiches of my life: a succulent filling of twice-cooked pork, first baked in barbecue, then fried with spices. It was so good that after accompanying my friends to the station, I came back to get another one. Today’s slow cooker recipe is a tribute to that sacred sandwich, which I still often think about.
Pork belly sandwiches with apple and fennel salad
Preparation 10 minutes
To cook 8h+ (slow cooker), or roast 1h40
Serves 4
1 kg boneless pork belly slices
½ teaspoon of table salt
600ml apple juice (no concentrate)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of fennel seedsground
2 tablespoons rosemary leavesfinely chopped
8 thick slicebread
Mustardto serve (optional)
for the coleslaw
2 apples
2 fennel bulbs
Salt and black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
In the morning, cut the pork belly into large squares, then put them in a slow cooker with 300 ml of water, salt and apple and lemon juice, and leave on low heat all day. To cook pork without a slow cooker, place it in a roasting pan with the salt, apple juice, and lemon juice (i.e. no water), then cover with foil and roast for an hour and a half at 220C (200C fan) / 425F / gas oven 7.
Prepare the salad just before serving. Core the apples and remove the tough stems and outer layers from the fennel bulbs. Thinly slice the apples and fennel, ideally using a mandoline or a coarse grater, then season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
To finish the pork, transfer the meat and all of its juices to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Mash the meat with a fork, much like you would pulled pork, then add the ground fennel seeds and rosemary, and cook, stirring, for five to six minutes, until the juices thicken. reduces and becomes jammy. (If you roasted the meat in the oven, it may take a little longer to reduce the liquid enough.)
To assemble, lightly toast the bread, then spoon a generous portion of pork and coleslaw over four slices. Drizzle with your favorite mustard, if using, top with the remaining four slices of toast and serve.