Ingredients:

• ½ pork belly, deboned, fat scored finely
• 3 tbsp coarse salt
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 1½ cups curry sauce

For the poached apricots:

• 8 dried apricots
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 star anise
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Curry Sauce:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, chopped
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tbs paprika
• 3 allspice / pimentos
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup chicken stock
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Method:

1. Rub the pork belly evenly with salt, focusing on the fatty part. Rub in the thyme evenly. Let cure for 30 minutes.
2. Set the EGG for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor at 163°C. Place a drip pan on the convEGGtor and then add the stainless steel grid.
3. Dust the excess salt off the pork belly and add to the cooking grid, fatty side up. Cook for one hour and forty minutes, flipping the meat over halfway through. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
4. To make the poached apricots, bring all the ingredients except the apricots to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, add apricots and poach for two to three minutes. Remove from the heat and strain.
5. For the curry sauce, set the EGG for direct cooking (without the convEGGtor in place) at 177°C. Add the oil to a Stir Fry and Paella Pan and cook the onions and spices until soft and fragrant. Deglaze the onion with a mixture of white wine vinegar and reduce the EGG temperature to 149°C. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 20 – 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to a thick gravy consistency. Blend until smooth and strain.
6. Serve pork belly drizzles with warm curry sauce and poached apricots.

Serves 4 – 6