The Hindquarter Slow-roasted Pork Hock With Fennel & Apple Salsa

This one is special. It’s based on my most favourite meal ever eaten while dining out, a slow-roasted pork hock from the most understated restaurant in a back street of Pisa, Italy. I fell in love that night, and I hope with this dish you will, too.

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Instructions

1.	Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2.	Start with 1 fresh pork hock. I like to treat this like any other pork roasting joint. I still dry the skin, because yes, I do still want crackling. I allow 1 pork hock to feed two. It’s rich. Just remember this next time you want to have roast pork. It’s a much more cost-effective way to eat what is, arguably, better meat.
3.	Score the hock (a Stanley knife is great for this), season with salt and pepper and place into the oven for 35 minutes.
4.	Roughly chop the fennel bulb into small pieces, scatter into a roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil, season well and sprinkle with the thyme.
5.	Set aside for the oven.
6.	Finely chop the apples and put into a mixing bowl, add some finely chopped mint and set aside.
7.	After the initial 35 minutes on the higher heat, drop the oven temperature down to 150°C, and allow the hock to roast for a further 2 hours.
8.	With an hour to go, add the dish of fennel to the oven to join the hock.
9.	After another hour, remove the hock and allow it to rest on a plate.
10.	Remove the fennel and gently place into the roasting dish that the hock was in and allow it to bathe in the juices.
11.	Add the apples and mint to the fennel, toss, turn and plate.
12.	A lovely textural fennel and apple salsa with roasted pork hock.