how to make slow cooker pork belly

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Pity early man.  When he first discovered fire, he had to wait another 300,000 years or so before he could even think about domesticating pigs and cooking pork belly on it.  One of the finest pieces of meat for flavor, texture and versatility, belly pork can be spectacular.  Brining is one of those steps that's not practiced widely by domestic cooks, but it makes a real difference.  It couldn't be easier to do, and once you've tried brining meat, you'll probably do it every time. 
If you don't have apple brandy, then simply use apple juice concentrate or straight juice.  Likewise, if you can't find any hard apple cider, then you can substitute it with beer, ginger beer, diluted apple juice or even increase the amount of stock.  The recipe won't be exactly the same, but what you are basically trying to do is replace the quantity of liquid with something that will taste good, and all of these options will be fine, so go right ahead.  The juniper berries can be replaced with a teaspoon of dried rosemary, or one sprig of fresh if you have it and the zest of 1/2 lemon.  
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Ingredients:
1 3/4 - 2 pounds pork belly
22 ounces hard apple cider
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon mustard seeds, freshly ground
2 tablespoons juniper berries, freshly ground
4 tablespoons grapeseed oil, separated
4 cups chicken or pork stock
1/4 cup American apple brandy (for example, Laird's)
1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
4 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups sliced apples 
Instructions:
1.  If your pork belly has skin on, then score it in a diamond pattern, taking care to only cut through the fat and skin, and not the meat itself.  
2.  Prepare the brine by bringing the apple cider, salt, sugar, mustard seed, and juniper berries to a simmer in a small saucepan, then remove from the heat and cool before placing in a sealed plastic bag with the pork and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, massaging the bag occasionally to ensure that the spices and liquid reaches all of the meat.  
3.  Remove the belly pork from the bag and wipe away any spices and excess moisture with a paper towel, before heating the grapeseed oil in a skillet and searing the meat on all sides.
4.  Once cool, add the pork to the slow cooker, cutting the meat to fit if necessary, before pouring in the apple brandy and cider vinegar and finally the stock to surround but not cover the pork belly, and cook on low for 6 hours.  
5.  Place cabbage and apples into a saucepan with enough of the pork braising liquid to cover, and cook until softened, while you remove the pork and cut into portions, before searing on all sides in a skillet with the remaining oil and serving with the cabbage and apples.  
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You don't need us to tell you how good this is, do you? The cabbage and apples are a fresh foil for the richness of the meat, so keep them slightly on the crunchy side if you prefer. A side of buttery mash or a baked sweet potato would be a great addition for a hearty appetite. It's recipes like this one that compelled humans to invent fire and slap some meat on it. 
We owe you one, early man.
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