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Mecklenburger Rippenbraten
Apple and prune stuffed pork belly
Mecklenburger Rippenbraten: rolled pork belly roast stuffed with apples and prunes
Mecklenburger Rippenbraten is the Christmas and Sunday roast of Mecklenburg on the Baltic coast, a flat piece of pork belly spread with apple and prunes, rolled, tied and roasted until the skin crackles. The fruit melts into the meat and turns the pan juices into a sweet, dark gravy, served with red cabbage and boiled potatoes. The prunes are sometimes soaked in rum; here they are soaked in apple juice, so the dish is alcohol-free. Chef's tip: dry the scored skin uncovered in the fridge overnight; dry skin is what puffs into crackling.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the roast
- 3 ⅓ lb boneless pork belly, skin on, in one flat pieceskin scored at 1 cm intervals
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 2 tart applespeeled, cored and cut into wedges
- 5 ½ oz soft pitted prunes
- 1 ¼ cups apple juicesplit
For the gravy
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak the 5 ½ oz soft pitted prunes in 100 ml of the ½ cup apple juice for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
20 minStep 2: Lay the 3 ⅓ lb boneless pork belly, skin on, in one flat piece skin side down. Season the meat side with half the 1 tsp salt, the 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp dried marjoram. Lay the 2 tart apples and drained prunes along the middle.
5 minStep 3: Roll the belly up tightly around the fruit, skin outside, and tie with kitchen string every 3 cm. Rub the skin with the remaining 1 tsp salt.
5 minStep 4: Put the 1 onion and 1 carrot in a roasting tin, set the roll on top and pour the remaining ¾ cup apple juice and the 1 ¾ cups hot water around it. Roast for 2 hours, adding a little water if the tin dries out.
120 minStep 5: Turn the oven up to 450°F (400°F fan) for the last 20–30 minutes to crackle the skin, watching so it blisters but does not burn. Common mistake: basting the skin; keep liquid off it or it turns leathery.
25 minStep 6: Check the centre with a thermometer: because the outside of the meat is rolled inside, it must reach at least 160°F; pork belly is most tender at 80–185°F. Rest it uncovered for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 7: Strain the tin juices into a pan, skim off the fat, bring to the boil and thicken with the 1 tbsp cornflour mix. Remove the string and carve into thick slices so each shows the fruit spiral.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 56 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mecklenburger Rippenbraten take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of tart apples?
- Pears, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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