Brined pork belly with farro salad and plum sauce

Step 1

For the brine, place the sugar, salt, garlic, peppercorns, cloves, bay, thyme and 1.5L (6 cups) water in a saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until sugar and salt have dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and chill until cooled to room temperature.

Step 2

Pour brine into a plastic container and carefully place the pork in the brine, to cover meat but not skin. Chill overnight, leaving the skin exposed to dry out.

Step 3

The next day, preheat the oven to 220°C. Remove pork from brine, discarding brine.

Step 4

Rub skin with oil and season with salt. Place pork, skin-side up, on a greased wire rack set in a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes or until the skin starts to bubble and crisp slightly.

Step 5

Reduce oven to 150°C and roast for a further 1 hour 10 minutes, then increase oven to 200°C and cook for a further 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the crackling is crisp and golden. Rest the pork, loosely covered with foil, for 30 minutes.

Step 6

Meanwhile, in the final 20 minutes of cooking the pork, cook the farro in a saucepan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside.

Step 7

For the plum sauce, transfer cooking juices from the pork to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the plums and maple syrup, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until plums have softened. Increase heat to high, add the wine and stock, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until thickened slightly.

Step 8

Strain through a fine sieve into a heatproof jug, discard solids and stir through vinegar.

Step 9

To serve, spoon farro over a platter, top with plums, labneh and almonds. Slice pork and place on top, scatter with micro herbs and serve with plum sauce.