Marco Pierre White recipe for Pork belly with cider and cream sauce

Roast pork belly with cider & cream sauce

Presenter: Marco Pierre White

Ingredients

• Bone-in pork belly, skin scored (quantity not specified) — keep the bones in.
• Tiny amount of oil (for the skin)
• Cider — reduce to a syrup (use equal volume to the apple juice)
• Apple juice — reduce to a syrup (use equal volume to the cider)
• Double cream (amount unspecified; added after reductions)
• Pork stock cube (optional; recommended to add “porkiness” to the sauce)
• Calvados — a little (Marco suggests about 1 teaspoon). Substitute: a little brandy if you don’t have Calvados.
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Equipment & preparation

• Cold frying pan/skillet (for the initial sear)
• Oven preheated to 160°C
• Roasting tray (use the pork bones as a natural rack)
• Saucepan or the same pan used for searing (for reducing liquids)
• Whisk
• Tongs and a plate for resting

Method

1. Prepare the pork belly

   • Leave the bones in and use them as the roasting rack.
   • Score the skin deeply enough to render fat and encourage crackling.
   • Lightly oil the skin with a very small amount of oil.

2. Start in a cold pan

   • Place the pork skin-side down in a cold pan, then bring the heat up. This helps render fat and develop crackling.

3. Roast

   • Transfer the pork to a roasting tray and cook in a preheated oven at 160°C.
   • Roast for approximately 1 to 1½ hours (timing aimed at producing good crackling).
   • Remove from the oven and allow the pork to rest before carving.

4. Make the cider & cream sauce

   • Reduce the cider in a pan to a syrup (watch closely — it can go from syrup to caramel quickly).
   • Reduce the apple juice (equal quantity to the cider) to a syrup as well.
   • Combine the reduced cider and apple reductions.
   • Add double cream and whisk to incorporate.
   • Dissolve a pork stock cube into the sauce to season and add pork flavor (optional but recommended).
   • Finish with a very small amount of Calvados (about 1 teaspoon) to balance sweetness; use brandy if needed.
   • Keep the sauce over gentle heat, whisk until smooth and glossy. Shake the pan and remove from the heat when ready to avoid further caramelization.

Chef tips & technique cues

• Score the skin and keep the bones on — they act as a natural rack and add flavour.
• Start skin-side down in a cold pan (rather than a hot pan) to render fat properly and promote ideal crackling.
• Use only a tiny amount of oil on the skin.
• Roast at 160°C for the best crackling according to Marco.
• Reduce the cider and apple juice to concentrated syrups (not caramel) so the cream becomes infused with their flavors.
• Watch reductions carefully — they can quickly pass from syrup to caramel.
• Shake the pan and pull off the heat to preserve apple/cider brightness.
• A pork stock cube adds a depth of “porky” flavour that salt alone won’t provide.
• Use just a touch of Calvados (or brandy) to cut the sauce’s sweetness.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Removing the bones (loses natural rack and flavour).
• Failing to score the skin or starting in a hot pan — both reduce the likelihood of good crackling.
• Letting the cider/apple reductions caramelize.
• Overusing Calvados — add only a little to balance sweetness.

Plating / serving suggestions

• Rest the pork before carving.
• Serve sliced pork with the cider-cream sauce spooned over or alongside.
• The sauce also pairs well with roast pheasant or roast chicken.

Variations

• Substitute brandy for Calvados if unavailable.
• Use the same cider & cream sauce for roast poultry (pheasant, chicken).

Source

• Video: “Marco Pierre White recipe for Pork belly with cider and cream sauce” (presenter: Marco Pierre White)