Ingredients
1kg boneless pork belly, preferably of even thickness
1 tsp salt
Sauce
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp red stringy bark or leatherwood or strong flavoured honey
2 tbsp (40ml) rice vinegar
2 tbsp (40ml) soy sauce
¼ cup (60ml) tomato ketchup
2.5cm piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Salad
1 ½ tbsp (30ml) Chinkiang black vinegar
2 tsp (10ml) peanut oil
½ small red onion chopped
½ bunch coriander leaves and stems, roughly chopped
½ bunch mint leaves, roughly torn
½ bunch Vietnamese mint leaves
4 green onions (shallots) or 2 spring onions, finely sliced
2 baby cukes, sliced
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted
¼ cup (35g) peanuts, roasted and crushed
Recipe by Lyndey Milan
Photography by John Paul Urizar
Styling by Michaela Le Compte
Food prep by Sarah-Jane Hallett
Method
1. Using a very sharp knife, score the pork belly rind by making diagonal cuts 1cm apart across the whole surface. Place in a colander or 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 overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking.
2. Pre-heat 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, in a baking dish (see note below) not much bigger than the pork and roast for 25–30 minutes.
3. For the sauce: combine all ingredients in a jug.
4. Remove the pork from the oven and reduce the heat to 180°C. Lift the pork from the baking dish, pour out any fat, then pour the sauce into the baking dish and replace the pork on top, ensuring no sauce gets on the rind. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 50–60 minutes or until the rind is crisp 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 the pork to rest in a warm place covered loosely with foil. Cut the pork belly into 2cm cubes. Sauce from pork can be reserved to serve with a barbeque.
5. For the salad, combine vinegar and oil in the bottom of a bowl. Add remaining ingredients except the peanuts and toss. Add the pork and divide between four plates, sprinkle with peanuts and serve with steamed rice if desired.
Lyndey’s Note: Small disposable aluminium trays are great for this. Use double and fold inwards to keep the sauce up around the pork flesh. Alternatively, line baking tray with foil which goes beyond the sides of the tray and fold in around the pork without covering the rind.
Wine Match
Grenache