Danielle McCarthy
Food & Wine

Slow-cooked pork belly with Asian flavours

Slow-cooking pork belly creates a super tasty treat – its high fat content makes it rich and incredibly succulent.

This dish can be cooked a day or two ahead: let the pork cool in the cooking liquid then remove to a flat plate or tray, cover and refrigerate. Slice the meat and let it come to room temperature before grilling.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

Method:

  1. Heat oven to 150°C. If the pork skin hasn't already been scored, do this with a very sharp knife, in lines about a finger-width apart. 
  2. Heat peanut and sesame oils in a flameproof casserole large enough to hold the pork snugly. Sear pork on both sides, finishing with the pork skin side up.
  3. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl or large jug. Pour over and around pork. The liquid should come at least two-thirds of the way up the meat – if necessary add water.
  4. Place a piece of baking paper inside casserole over pork and cover with casserole lid. Place in the oven and cook 3 hours until pork is very soft. (This dish can also be cooked on the stove top at a gentle simmer for 3 hours.)
  5. Carefully remove pork from juices and allow to rest 15 minutes then pat skin dry with a paper towel. Place pork skin side up under a pre-heated grill until the skin starts to crackle. 
  6. To reduce the cooking liquid for serving as a gravy, pour it through a sieve into a small saucepan, adding an extra 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar, and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook until reduced and thickened slightly. For a thicker sauce, add a little cornflour. 
  7. Serve pork with the gravy and garnished with chopped spring onions and coriander leaves if desired.

Written by Bernadette Hogg. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz. Image credit: Manja Wachsmuth.

Tags:
recipe, pork, slow, cooked, belly