I must firstly apologise, as I didn’t take photos of the pineapple salsa being prepared, only as part of the larger meal. However,this is because it is literally a matter of dicing all of the ingredients and mixing them together – so easy!

In previous posts this week, you’ll have seen Mexican Spinach & Mushroom Bake and Mexican Corn Salad. Both of these go extremely well as sides to a meal of tacos and salsa. They’re both delicious stand alone dishes, but also go really well wrapped up in a tortilla.

Pork belly is one of those meats that needs time and care to really come out well. A large slab will cook differently to three smaller pieces, so depending on what type of pork belly you get, your cook times will vary. Keep an eye on it, but remember – crispy skin is the ideal.

Marinating your pork belly is also vital. Most recipes recommend at least 4 hours, but I would say you’ll get the best results if you marinate overnight. This will allow the full flavours of the marinade to seep into the pork belly, and give you an even more delicious meal.

Fruit salsas work really well with proteins, I’ve already posted my mango salsa for seafood, so now it’s time for a pineapple salsa for pork. You can adjust the amount of jalapeño you add depending on your taste for heat.

The pineapple salsa can be made a few hours in advance, or it can be put together just before you serve the tacos. It all depends on what will make it easier for you.

Ingredients

For the pork belly:
600 grams pork belly
250 ml orange juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 chipotle chili, re-hydrated (click here to see how)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp fresh lime juice
salt
pepper

For the pineapple salsa:
150 grams pineapple (canned or fresh), roughly chopped
60 ml pineapple juice
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/4 cucumber, roughly chopped
2 jalapeños, diced
1 handful fresh coriander, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
1 lime, juiced
salt
pepper

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the pork belly in a bowl. Place pork belly in a bowl or shallow dish, and pour marinade over the top. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 230°C. Line a large roasting tin with tin foil.
3. Place the pork in the roasting tin, and pour the marinade over the pork.
4. Cook the pork for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 130°C and cook the pork for another 45 – 50 minutes. Keep an eye on the pork, different cuts of belly will take different amounts of time. If cooking pieces of belly, as I did, turn them over halfway through.
5. When the pork is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
6. While the pork is resting, combine all of the ingredients for the pineapple salsa in a bowl.
7. Slice the pork into bite-size pieces.
8. Serve warm with tortillas, pickled onions, and any other condiments you like.