SLOW COOKED PORK BELLY

How good does this look?

Made this tonight for dinner, and I’m quite friggin impressed with myself.  The last time I cooked pork belly (a few years ago before Masterchef made it all popular and expensive), it was a complete disaster.  Had no idea what I was doing with it.

So, the last time Charlie had pork belly, at a recent wedding, he was quite sick from it.  To say he wasn’t overly keen, was an understatement.  However, in true ‘supportive husband’ fashion, he hooked in and really liked it.

So, it mustn’t have been too bad.

Get on it, people.

SLOW COOKED PORK BELLY WITH STICKY ASIAN SAUCE

2 litres vegetable stock

4cm piece fresh ginger, unpeeled, thickly sliced

2 cloves garlic, skin on, smashed

2 cinnamon sticks

5 star anise

1 cup Shaoxing wine

6 black peppercorns

1.5 kg piece boneless pork belly

Sticky Asian Sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

¼ kecap manis

½ cup Shaoxing wine

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

Vegetable oil, for shallow frying

Steamed rice, to serve

Steamed Asian greens, to serve

Put stock, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, wine and peppercorns in a large saucepan over high heat.  Bring to the boil.

Meanwhile, us a small sharp knife to score fine parallel lines, at 5mm intervals, in pork rind.  Put pork in the bowl of 5.5 litre slow cooker. Pour over hot stock mixture.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Carefully transfer pork to a chopping board and pat dry with paper towel.  Set aside for 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.  Pat dry again, to remove as much liquid as possible.

Meanwhile, to make Sticky Asian Sauce, put sesame oil, kecap manis, wine, garlic, coriander, star anise and cinnamon in a small saucepan over a medium heat.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes or until sauce has reduced by half.  Set aside and keep warm.

Pour vegetable oil into a large frying pan to 3cm.  Heat over a high heat until hot (about 180C).  Carefully add pork, skin side down (stand back as the oil will spit slightly), and cook for 5 minutes, or until skin is crispy and golden brown.  Drain on paper towel.

Slice pork into 6 pieces.  Spoon sticky Asian Sauce over pork and serve immediately with steamed rice and steamed Asian greens.

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