Roast pork belly with caramelised peanut sauce
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- More effort
- Serves 6
Ingredients
For the pork
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 lime leaves, torn
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 star anise, broken
- 1 ½kg boned pork belly joint, scored across (this makes it easier to slice)
- a little olive oil
For the spice rub
- 3cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp dried chilli flakes
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp groundnut oil
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 ½ tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 2 lime leaves, left whole
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
- 2½ limes, juiced
- 100g crunchy peanut butter
- ¼-½ tsp tamarind paste
- cooked rice and stir-fried greens, to serve
Method
- STEP 1
Pound all of the ingredients for the spice rub together using a pestle and mortar. You’ll end up with a coarse mixture. Transfer to a small bowl. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
- STEP 2
To prepare the spices that will be simmered with the pork, pound the cinnamon, ginger, lime leaves and peppercorns using a pestle and mortar to a rough paste. Add the garlic. Roughly break up the star anise – it’s much too strong if you pound it – and add that too. Tip the spice mixture into a flameproof roasting tin that the pork will fit into. Lay the pork on top, skin-side down. Add enough boiling water to come just up to the level of the meat. Bring to a simmer on the hob and cook for 20 mins.
- STEP 3
Take the pork out of the water and pat it dry. Discard the water and spices in the tin, wash and dry. Set a rack inside the roasting tin and lay the pork on top, skin-side up. Spread the spice rub over the pork, then drizzle on a little oil and rub all over the pork. Sprinkle over some sea salt, put in the oven and cook for 20 mins, then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and cook for a further 45 mins. Finish under the grill for 10 mins to crisp up the skin.
- STEP 4
Make the sauce while the pork is cooking. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the shallots over a medium heat until golden. Add the chilli, garlic, and ginger and cook for 2 mins, then add the sugar. Cook until the sugar caramelises – be careful not to burn it – then quickly add 300ml water (it will sizzle and spit a bit). Stir in the lime leaves, fish sauce, lime juice and peanut butter. Bring to a simmer, stirring to break down the peanut butter. Taste. I usually add a little tamarind paste, but you might prefer to add more lime juice or fish sauce. Serve the pork belly with the sauce, rice and greens.
