So, pork belly is the star of this show. A nice bit of pork belly can be every bit as succulent and sweet as loin. When we advertise this class at the Cook School, we don't mention the word belly, because people only start to overcome their prejudice when they taste how good it is.

And overcome it they do, tucking into sweet, tender strips of carved meat. Contrast that with the slightly crunchy sticky ribs and a Mediterranean mix of tomatoes and olives, and there's your complete feast. It barely even needs an accompaniment – just a few new potatoes or a big salad.

When buying the meat, ask the butcher for the front part of the belly, where it's on the bone, with the bones removed but retained. Check that you're getting a leanish belly, and also ask for the ribs to be removed. If they already have been, make sure you ask for them back. They provide a contrast in texture and flavour, and provide a raised bed for the pork to cook on.

• A few places are still available for the informal dinner party class on September 30. Visit www.nicknairn.com for more details.

STICKY ROAST PORK WITH SUN-BLUSHED TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Serves four to six

For the meat:

1.2kg belly pork (skin on)
Maldon salt
milled black pepper
splash sunflower oil
small cup water
For the glaze
juice of 1 1/2 limes
1 tbsp sunflower oil
3 tbsp mirin (a rice wine similar to sake; for a substitute, use dry sherry)
3 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tsp caster sugar
5 tbsp soy sauce (a Japanese one, such as Kikkoman)

For the garnish:

70ml chicken or beef stock
80g sun-blushed tomatoes
40g black olives, stoneless
12 basil leaves

Preheat oven to 200¼C. Take the pork and, with a thin-bladed, very sharp knife (a clean Stanley knife is ideal), score through the skin into the fat. The score lines should be about 5mm apart and run the length of the meat. Repeat on the underside. You can ask the butcher to do this for you.

Open up the scored cracks on both sides of the belly and rub in a little salt and pepper. Then place the meat skin-side up, sitting on top of the rib bones, in a roasting tray.

Sprinkle the skin of the pork with a little sunflower oil, then run the flame of a blowtorch over the surface of the skin. This will remove any hairs in the rind and start to crisp the skin. Alternatively, you could pop the meat under the grill.

The cuts in the rind will begin to open slightly when it is ready to roast. Pour a small cup of water into the tray and place the meat in the oven for about 25 minutes; then turn the oven down to 185¼C and continue cooking for another hour. If you find that the tray is filling with rendered fat from the meat, tip this into a heatproof bowl and discard.

While the meat is cooking, make the glaze. Place the lime juice, sunflower oil, mirin, mustard, sugar and soy sauce into a small bowl, and mix together well.

Once the hour is up, the pork skin should be crisp and golden. If the skin is still limp, pop the joint under a hot grill for a few minutes to finish it off. Be careful here, as the skin can burn very easily. Remove the meat and tip off the remaining fat into a heatproof bowl.

Pour the glaze over the meat and return to the oven. After 15 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and lift out the belly and ribs. Let the belly rest on a warm serving plate while you cut the ribs into individual bones and return to the tin.

Set the roasting tin over a medium heat and let the remainder of the glaze in the tray reduce to a slightly sticky sauce, then remove from the heat. Don't over reduce the sauce at this point, as it will end up being too thick and salty.

Carve the pork belly down the score lines made earlier and arrange the meat on a warm plate.

Return the roasting tin with the ribs and sticky sauce to the heat, add the stock, tomatoes and olives, mixing well. You want the sauce to end up with the consistency of light gravy. Stir in the basil leaves and tip the whole contents of the tray, ribs and all, alongside the belly meat. Serve with new potatoes or salad.

Critical points

Make sure you rub the salt right into the cracks in the skin, pulling them apart a little to get the seasoning in as deep as possible.

A blowtorch isn't strictly necessary to remove stray hairs, but it does help. It also adds a real crispness to the skin. If you don't have a blowtorch, pop the meat under a hot grill to achieve the same effect.

Using a sharp knife, slice through the flesh between each rib, to end up with single ribs.

It's crucial not to over-reduce your sauce at the tomato-olive stage. You want to end up with a light gravy consistency, almost a dressing, not a sticky mess. If it's getting too thick, thin it down with a little water, mixing in well. But this should be a quick final stage; you don't want mushy olives or tomatoes.