Last night I made an entree for dinner which was just perfect to start off the evening. It’s almost effortless, and takes a short amount of preparation.

The entree was Pork Belly served with Spinach & Pear puree and beetroot jelly. Here is what you’ll need:

Pork Belly
- 2 Strips Pork Belly
- 0.5 tbsp of good quality sea salt

Spinach & Pear Pure
- 1 bunch spinach
- 1 pear (peeled, cored and quartered)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt & Pepper

Beetroot Jelly
- 1 pack of Raspberry jelly (I used an Aeroplane branded one)
- 1 tin of sliced beetroot

First up the Beetroot Jelly (note – this will need at least 4 hours in the fridge to set)

- Unpack half satchel of the raspberry jelly into 0.5 cup of boiling water and mix to dissolve. Add another 0.5 cup of cold water.
- In a flat and shallow pan – place the sliced beetroots tightly next to each other side by side and pour over a tablespoon of the beetroot water from the tin on top of the beetroots.
- Finally pour over the raspberry jelly mixture till it covers the beetroot by 0.5 cm
- Set in the fridge for 4 hours

Next, let’s get on with the Pork Belly. Preheat your oven to 220* C.

I bought 2 strips from David Jones (cost me about $5.50 for the two). There were some bone parts at the bottom section of the belly strips which I cut off. I prefer to sever this boneless.

I made diagonal cuts through the skin (don’t cut into the meat) and then sprinkled sea salt on the top of the strips and massage the skins for a about 20 to 30 seconds. Check that your jelly is getting ready before sticking the pork in the over. You can drizzle the strips with a bit of olive oil – but I put them straight in the oven on the top shelf. After about 15 mins, bring the heat down to 200 and bring the meat down to the middle shelf and then 15 mins later, down to 180. If your skin hasn’t crisped, put it back on the top shelf for another 10 – 15 mins until it’s crisp to your liking. All in all, it should take about 45 – 55 mins to cook.

While the pork is cooking, let’s move on to the puree. In a small saucepan, boil enough water to cover your quartered bits of pear. Let your pear boil for about 15 to 20 mins depending on it’s ripeness. Take it out of the water and let it cool. Meanwhile, wash the spinach and cook that in boiling water (I used the same water as the pear) for 5 mins until it’s soft. Drain the spinach and squeeze out any excess water with some paper towels.

Finally, add the spinach, pear, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a blender and blend it until the mixture forms a creamy and foamy mixture. Taste and season to suit your taste buds.

Check that your pork belly is crisp and that there is no pinkness in the meat. Cut a square or rectangle strip of the jelly and place it on the corner of your serving plate. Dollop a teaspoonful of the puree and spread it in a straight line with the back of your spoon. Cut the pork strips into half and serve them with one half leaning over the other. Sprinkle a little sea salt over if necessary.

Voila, there you have it – Pork Belly served with Spinach and Pear puree and beetroot jelly.