Method
1. Squeeze the tamarind and water together with your hands to make a paste, pass through a fine strainer, then mix the sieved pulp with the brown sugar, soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil and five spice.
2. Score the pork belly and place skin side up in roasting tray.
3. Pour the tamarind mixture around, but not over the pork belly. Scatter the ginger over and around.
4. Rub salt into the scored skin of the pork.
5. Cover with a layer of baking paper and two layers of foil and braise for 3 hours at 150°C.
6. Transfer pork belly to a tray to cool, strain the braising liquor into a saucepan and refrigerate until the fat has set on top.
7. Once set, remove the fat and reduce the remaining cooking liquor down to 250ml.
8. Dissolve the ½ cup of salt in 3 cups of cold water and pour over the wombok in a large bowl.
9. Squeeze the wombok in the water for a couple of minutes, then place a plate on top, weigh it down so that the wombok is submerged, and leave for 3 hours.
10. Sprinkle the daikon with the remaining salt, leave to stand for 30 minutes, then squeeze out excess moisture and set side.
11. In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup of cold water and the rice flour and stir over the heat until it boils and thickens.
12. Stir in the gotchujang, fish sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger.
13. Rinse the wombok in three changes of water and squeeze out all excess moisture with your hands.
14. Transfer to a large bowl and mix with the daikon, rice flour mixture and sliced shallots. Pack tightly into a sterile glass or ceramic container, cover loosely and leave out to ferment for a minimum of three days.
15. Slice the nashi pears very finely and lay on trays lined with baking paper.
16. Lightly brush with sesame oil and sprinkle with shichimi pepper. Turn all the slices and repeat. Bake for 3–4 hours at 100°C, opening the oven occasionally to let out excess steam.
17. To serve, place the pork belly on a roasting tray and reheat in a 220°C oven until the skin puffs.
18. Slice the pork belly and serve on the kimchi, garnished with the nashi crisps and perilla leaves.
19. Serve the warm tamarind sauce on the side.
Matt’s note: This recipe needs to be started a few days in advance so the kimchi has time to ferment.
Wine match: Pinot Noir