Wild Thyme – Winters Night Chilli

Ingredients – Chilli:

• 20g dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 tbsp each fennel seeds, coriander seeds, smoked paprika
• 1 butternut squash
• Olive oil
• 500g g pork belly, skin removed & bone out
• 1 kg brisket
• 2 onions
• 2 tsp soft light brown sugar
• 150ml balsamic vinegar
• 2 x 400g cannellini or chickpeas
• 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
• 3 red or yellow peppers
• 1-2 fresh chillies 
• Bunch fresh coriander

Ingredients – Salsa

• 1 red onion
• 2 eating apples
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190c/375F/gas 5. Pop mushrooms into a bowl and just cover with boiling water. Toss together fennel, coriander, paprika, and 1 tsp each of salt & pepper. Deseed squash and chop into rough chunks. Toss with half of the spice mix, place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 50 mins, or until golden, then remove from oven and reduce temperature to 150c. 

2. Meanwhile, drizzle both cuts of meat with olive oil and rub with the remaining spice mix. Place in a really large casserole pan on a medium-high heat. Place the meats fat-side down, and brown on all sides for around 15 mins total. Peel and roughly chop onions. Remove both meats to a plate, reduce heat to medium, add onions and sugar to the pan and fry for 10 mins, stirring regularly until caramelised. Add the balsamic vinegar, mushrooms, and mushroom liquid. Follow by beans or chickpeas, liquid and all, then add tomatoes, and return both meats to the pan. Bring to the boil, season, then pop a layer of damp greaseproof paper directly onto surface. Cover with tin foil or a lid and cook in the oven for around 5 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender.

3. Prick the peppers and chillies, then blacken & char all over on a really high heat on the hob. Place in a bowl, cover tightly with clingfilm and leave to cool, then peel and deseed them, keeping as much juice as you can for extra flavour. Roughly chop with half the coriander, and toss with some salt and pepper. When meat is tender remove from the oven and stir in squash, peppers and chillies. Add water if needed, season to perfection, and keep warm. 

4. To finish, peel the onion for the salsa, then finely chop with the apples (core and all), and add remaining coriander. Dress with cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and season. Serve chilli topped with salsa, and a dollop of yoghurt.