Home-cured pork with lentil salad

Combine salt, sugar and pink curing salt, fennel seeds and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a bowl. Place pork belly in a large snap-lock bag that holds it snugly, add cure mixture, shake to coat pork, seal and refrigerate for 5 days. Remove pork from bag, pat dry with paper towels, wrap in new muslin cloth and hang the fridge or a cool draughty place until dried to your liking (8-10 weeks refrigerated or 4-6 weeks in a cool, draughty place).

For lentil salad, boil lentils in a large saucepan until tender (20-25 minutes), then drain. Combine vinegar, oil, shallot and garlic in a bowl. While still warm, add lentils to dressing, season well to taste, toss to combine and set aside to cool completely, then refrigerate until required. Before serving, bring lentil salad to room temperature and drizzle with extra olive oil. Lentil salad can be made up to 2 days ahead.

Thinly slice meat on a meat slicer, or freeze briefly to firm up, then slice on a mandolin or as thinly as you can with a very sharp knife. Serve on lentil salad and scatter with fennel fronds.