Pork Belly and Lentils, braised - Testing

https://recipes.sainsburys.co.uk/recipes/one-pot-roast-pork-and-lentil-braise

1 - Abso-LUT-ely delicious. I finally found a recipe I really like for cooking fresh pork belly with lentils. I'm sure there are others, and I will try them, but this was really great. I doubled the amount of lentils but did not increase any of the other ingredients, except for the water - I ended up adding a bit of water after the first 45 minutes, but I'm not sure how much, so I'm starting with an extra 1/2 cup. I liked it that, at the end, the lentils weren't swimming in broth but were just juicy. I'm looking forward to making this again!

2 - I had no carrots and substituted dijon for wholegrain mustard, and it was still delicious.

3 - Successful again, but last time I put in the whole 2 1/2 cups water and felt like the pork belly was swimming. Made it again with less water, only to cover the lentils, and added water later in the cooking, and they come out partially cooked, part of them still a bit crunchy. So it isn't until covered, it's actually a precise quantity. Maybe 2 1/4 and check half-way through to add another 1/4?

4 - Keeping it simple. the 2 1/2 cups stock works just fine. Moving this one on up to Test 3.

5 - Nope, and I'm forgetting the testing system. I have questions all the way through and I've been graduating it, which is wrong. Once I have perfected it, then I can graduate it to reproduce 3x. If I have questions or if one of the reproductions fails, it should be demoted back to the Testing phase. This has to go back to the testing phase. It's good as it is, but I don't like how the mustard glaze seems to run off into the watery broth when I just dump it on. I think I should return to the original recipe and alter how adding the water is explained. Some water just to cover the lentils to start, then add more halfway through the baking process, I think.

6 - The plan worked! Adding only enough broth to cover the lentils worked, and so did basting instead of dumping.

7 - I leave way too much of the pork fat after browning the belly pieces. As in, I don't remove any of it, and it turns into a meal that's far too heavy. If we were working as young Victorian farmers, the calories would be justified.

8 - Made it with less fat and it made all the difference. Much more digestible. I probably left 2 Tbsps of fat, I might be able to go up to 1/4 cup.

Timing: 2 hrs 10mins

1lb 6oz pork belly, uncured 

1 large onion, peeled and diced (10oz)

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stick, diced (or some lovage leaves instead)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 cup lentils

1½ + 1 cups vegetable stock

2 Tbsps. wholegrain mustard

2 Tbsps. runny honey or maple syrup

1. Cut the pork into 4 thick slices. Rub with plenty of salt and pepper. 
2. Heat a wide, oven-ready pot on medium-high for a couple of minutes (searing temperature is reached when a popcorn kernel pops). 
3. Place the pork belly to the hot pan about 1" apart, fat rind side down first. Sear on all sides, including the ends, until each side is well browned with a slight crust, about 3 minutes each side (total 18 minutes). Set aside.
4. Remove the hot fat and leave about 2 Tbsps to 1/4cup to cook the vegetables.
5. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350°F. 
6. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and fennel seeds to the hot pan and cook for 10 minutes until soft and fragrant. The veg should produce enough moisture to scrape up the fond that developed during the searing stage. 
7. Once the veg is soft, add the lentils and stir through, cooking for a further 1 minute. 
8. Pour in the 1½ cups stock. This should just cover the lentils.
9. Lay the pork on top, then cover and transfer to the oven and bake for an initial 45 minutes. 
10. Combine the mustard and honey (or maple syrup). 
11. Add the remaining stock, just to cover the lentils (about 1.5 cups). Baste the pork using about 1/4 to 1/3 of the marinade. Increase the temperature to 400°F. Place the casserole back in the oven, uncovered, and roast for a further 40 minutes, basting with the marinade every 10 minutes or until the marinade is all used up.