This slow-roast pork dish requires you to begin preparation about 3 days in advance. First the pork needs to be marinated overnight, slow cooked and allowed to cool. Then it is chilled for a night before roasting in a hot oven to crispen up the pork crackling and reheat the meat until meltingly tender. It is truly work the effort for a special occasion.

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram piece pork belly, skin on and well-scored
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon curry powder or Indian-style curry paste
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom or ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
• grated rind one orange
• ¼ cup oil
• 2 onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 red-skinned apple, peled and thinly sliced
• 1½ cups chopped dried dates
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup port or sweet-style sherry
• 1 cup chicken or light beef stock

Method

1. Place the pork into a large sealable plastic bag or into a large dish. Sprinkle over the cinnamon, curry powder or paste, cardamom or ginger, nutmeg or mace, orange rind and oil, and massage into the pork. Seal or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. Turn the slow cooker on to low to pre-warm while gathering and preparing the ingredients.
3. If wishing to brown the ingredients: Heat a frying-pan and, when hot, brown the pork well on both sides. Brown the onions if wished, adding a dash more oil if necessary.
4. Into the slow cooker put the onions, apple, dates, raisins and garlic and sit the pork skin-side up. Pour in the port or sherry and stock and cover with the lid.
5. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the pork is tender. Turn the slow cooker off and leave the pork to cool in the slow cooker for a further 2 hours.
6. Place the crockery insert into the fridge to chill overnight.
7. About 2 hours before serving, place the crock back into the slow cooker and turn onto high. Remove the pork and place on a foil-lined tray skin-side up. Keep covered while the onion mixture is reheating. It will take about 1½ hours to reheat. Alternatively, this can be done on the stove in a frying-pan in a much shorter time.
8. Preheat the oven to 200ºC fan bake, or 220º bake. About 40 minutes before serving, place the pork into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until very hot. The crackling will have become crisp and the meat should be very tender.
9. Serve the pork sliced on the hot apple and onion mixture and accompanied with your favourite greens.

Cooks Tips

Variations: - Use pears in place of apple. - Use currants in place of raisins. - Add ¼ cup glacee mixed peel if wished. - Use red or white wine or vermouth in place of port.