PORK BELLY WITH APPLE SLAW AND CHILLI CARAMEL
INGREDIENTS
For the pork belly
500g pork belly
1 tbs Chinese Five-Spice
1 tbs Sichuan Pepper
2 tbs sea salt
2 tbs pepper
2-3 tsps caster sugar
For the apple slaw
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into thin strips
1/4 cabbage, finely shredded
1/4 cup Mayonaise (preferably Whole Egg Mayonaise)
1/4 cup Sour Cream (preferably lite)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp Lemon juice
For the chilli-caramel sauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3-4 red chilli’s, deseeded and chopped finely
2 tbs crushed ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
Extra
Tortillas
METHOD
For the pork belly
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Use a sharp knife to criss-cross across the skin. Cut down to the fat but no lower.
Combine the five spice, peppers, salt and sugar in a small bowl and then spread over the pork belly skin, rubbing into the cuts.
Place the pork belly onto a wire rack in a oven-proof tray. There needs to be a gap between the bottom of the dish and the rack as you’re going to pour water into the tray. Free-hand this, pour in about 5 Litres or so, making sure the water doesn’t go too close to the pork.
Cook the pork in the tray for 20 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 180. Cook for 2 hours, top up the water every half hour if needed.
After the 2 hours is up, turn the oven onto grill and grill for 3-5 minutes or until pork belly is crunchy. PLEASE watch carefully, the grill will cook it so quickly and you want to avoid burning.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces and get ready to serve on the warm tortillas with apple slaw and chilli-caramel sauce.
For the apple slaw
Combine all the ingredients and mix well until the cabbages and apples are covered with the wet ingredients.
Put aside until serving.
For the chilli-caramel sauce
Put half of the water and the sugar into a small saucepan over medium high heat. Boil until the sugar starts to go brown and caramelise, monitor and reduce heat if needed, you don’t want this to burn.
Once caramelised add the ginger, chillies, remaining water, fish sauce and lime juice and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Now you’re ready to serve.
To serve
Heat tortillas for 10-20 seconds or until warm.
Place a spoonful (or tong-full) of apple slaw into the middle of the tortilla. Top with bite-sized pieces of pork belly and spoon a few scoops of the chilli-carmel sauce over the top.
Enjoy!
Shawn Brochacho Leckey – This is the one I made and after heating in oven I let stand for 15 minutes then pan Fried with hoisin sauce to add another layer of flavor. I used raw brown sugar as well. And regular salt. For the Caramel sauce I used raw brown sugar and teryiaki instead of fish sauce – still came out great
FOTO – Shawn Brochacho Leckey
