Lyndey Milan's crisp pork belly with Asian salad

METHOD

1. Using a very sharp knife, score the pork belly rind by making diagonal cuts 1cm apart across the whole surface to create a diamond pattern. Place on a rack in the sink and pour over a kettle full of boiling water to help the rind separate. If necessary, score more lines. Dry well with paper towel and place, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 2 hours or better still overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking. 
2. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Wipe the pork well with paper towel to remove any excess moisture, rub with salt and place, rind side up, on a rack in a baking dish not much bigger than the pork and roast for 25–30 minutes or until it is crackling.
3. Reduce the heat to 180°C and pour boiling water to the rack level. Return to the oven and roast for an additional hour or until the rind is crisp and translucent and the meat juices run clear. If the juices are clear and the rind is not crisp enough, grill for 5 minutes or until the rind blisters. Remove to a wire rack to rest. Carve pork into slices while still warm.
4. For the salad, place mirin and fish sauce in a large bowl. Add red onion to soften. Use a slicer or mandolin to finely slice cucumber, radish and apples. Place in serving bowl with green chilli and bean sprouts and toss with the coriander and mint. Just before serving, drain and add onion and toss to combine. Top with warm pork and serve immediately.

Lyndey’s note: Illawarra plums and quandongs are in season in spring and would make a delightful addition to this salad, just omit the red apple.