I love to cook a great Sunday roast for my family, it’s not something we do every week or even once a month. However when I do, it’s always enjoyed by the whole family. Due to my Hubby’s working hours it’s not often we sit down all together as a family to enjoy a meal, thats another reason roast dinners are enjoyed by us all even more.

Panasonic have just realised a new combination microwave which is going to change the way people cook at home. Panasonic have teamed up Chef Tom Kitchen who says you can cook the perfect crispy belly pork in the microwave. As we had a rare Sunday with us all at home, I though I would take a trip to the local butchers and buy some belly pork, before heading to the market to buy some lovely fresh vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1kg Belly pork
• rock salt
• seasonal vegetables

Directions

• Using a sharp knife, lightly score the skin making criss-cross inserts.
• Rub the pork belly with rock salt and place on a tray before cling filming and placing in the fridge for 6 hours.
• Pre-heat the microwave oven to 200°C using the convection setting.
• Place the pork belly on the wire rack and rest it on the metal tray. Carefully pour boiling water directly over the pork belly and fill the tray with 2″ of water.
• Place the metal tray carefully in the lower shelf position with the belly on the wire rack in the middle shelf position.
• Cook on the convection setting at 200°C for 20 mins. Then lower the temperature to 160°C and cook for another 3 hours.
• If at the end of cooking the skin needs more crisping, cook on the grill setting 1 for a further 5-10 mins.
• Serve with your choice of seasonal vegetables.

Now, my microwave is a very basic one, which is only really used for defrosting the odd thing, cooking baked beans or peas for the children. So I didn’t have a shelf option or the ability to put the pork on a metal tray, so I went without.

Into the microwave it went, set the time and kept my fingers crossed it would be a success.

I have to say I was quite impressed with how my belly pork cooked in the microwave, it was crispy, succulent and delicious to eat. It wasn’t something I have ever thought about doing before and I was honestly a little bit worried about how it would turn out.

I would love to hear about you favourite ways to cook belly pork.

*This post has been made in collaboration with Panasonic.*

• « The Origin of Leather
• The perfect flight bag with Cabin Zero cabin bags »