Sticky Pork Belly With Vietnamese Style Salad Smashed Peanuts Recipes

STICKY PORK BELLY WITH VIETNAMESE-STYLE SALAD & SMASHED PEANUTS

Steps:

• Remove the rind from the pork and put the meat in a large sealable food bag or casserole dish. In a bowl, mix the hoisin, honey, vinegar, soy, ketchup and ginger, then pour over the pork and massage well. Seal the bag or cover the dish and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hrs, or overnight.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Transfer the pork and its marinade to a snug roasting tin, lined with foil. Pour over 50ml water, cover with foil and roast for 2 hrs, or until tender, basting halfway through. Take the pork out and increase oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the foil and pour the sauce into a small pan. Bring the sauce to the boil and let it bubble until thick and syrupy. Brush some of the sauce all over the pork and pop back in the oven, uncovered, for 20 mins until sticky and caramelised in places. Transfer to a chopping board, cover lightly with foil and leave to rest for 20 mins.
• Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Toss all the ingredients, except the peanuts, together in a bowl. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients and set aside. Reheat the remaining sauce, adding a splash of water if it has become too thick. Toss the dressing through the salad and divide between 2 plates, then top with the smashed peanuts. Cut the pork into thick slices, arrange alongside the salad, then drizzle over the sauce. Serve with Coconut rice (see tip, below).

STICKY PORK BELLY WITH VIETNAMESE-STYLE SALAD

Steps:

• Toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until fragrant. Tip into a bowl, add the hoisin, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, ginger and star anise and mix well.
• Put the pork in a roasting tin lined with kitchen foil, pour over the marinade and massage it into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
• Pour 3 tablespoon water around the pork, cover the tray with foil and roast for 2 hours, or until tender, basting with the juices halfway through. Remove the pork from the oven and increase the temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Pour the cooking juices and any remaining marinade from the pork tin into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Simmer until thick and syrupy. Remove the star anise. Brush the sauce all over the pork, reserving 1 tablespoon for the salad dressing, and place the tray back in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until sticky and caramelised.
• Meanwhile, for the rice, put the sticky rice in a bowl and cover with cold water for 30 minutes.
• When the pork is ready, transfer to a chopping board, cover lightly with foil and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
• Drain the rice and place in a saucepan with the lime leaf and salt. Pour over the coconut milk, cover, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to its lowest setting. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to rest with the lid on for a further 10 minutes. Remove the lime leaf.
• For the salad dressing, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and add the reserved 1 tablespoon pork sauce.
• For the salad, toast the peanuts in a dry frying pan for 1 minute. Remove and smash in a pestle and mortar. Toss the remaining salad ingredients together in a bowl. Mix through the dressing.
• To serve, divide the salad between two plates and top with the peanuts. Cut the pork into thick slices and add to the plates. Fluff the rice up with a fork and serve with the pork and salad.