… this is definitely the kind of dish I would order in a restaurant… you know I love pork belly and this kind of slow-cooked hot-pot is exactly what i’d go for as a treat… and its most definitely NOT the kind of dish I would ever cook at home, which is exactly why I love this challenge!
… this month dear Beatrice chose for me The River Cottage Meat Book by HFW… it’s a giant tome of a book, mostly full of graphic photography showing you how to joint a camels heart… so I opened it with some trepidation worried i’d end up skinning a guinea pig or something.
I actually opened the page describing, in graphic detail, all the different pieces of offal, so I had to pick again and got this amazing, aromatic dish… so exciting… I had most of the ingredients anyway, so it was off to the butcher I went for my pork belly.
Aromatic Pork Belly Hot Pot
Hugh describes this dish as a fine example of the great versatility of pork belly and the slow-cooking technique, this time using aromatic oriental flavourings… and the house most definitely smells good…
1.5kg pork belly with the rind on
1.5L pork or chicken stock
12 spring onions
100ml light soy sauce
75ml Chinese rice wine
25ml rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soft light brown sugar
3 star anise
10cm piece of fresh ginger – peeled and chopped into chunks
a pinch of dried chilli flakes
– chop the pork belly into chunks and chuck them into a pan of boiling water, let them simmer for 5 mins or so whilst you skim off the scum
– drain the pork belly, clean the pan and then return the belly to the pan and cover in the stock, 5 of the spring onions which you’ve chopped in half, then the rest of the ingredients.
– bring to a boil then turn down the heat, cover and simmer gently for 2 and a half hours.
– you may have to turn the pork occasionally but you’ll know when it’s tender.
– remove the pork from the stock with a slotted spoon and set aside (at this stage I actually put it under the grill for a minute or two to crisp up, which it did gloriously and very quickly.)
– skim the stock if it needs it then turn the liquid up to a vigorous boil to reduce. It should be lightly syrupy and intense in flavour but not reduced too much as you don’t want the soy sauce to become too salty.
– slice the remaining spring onion, add it to the pan along with the pork to heat through.
– serve with noodles
remember you have until the end of the month to take part… come on now, be brave… pick book number 18 and get cooking!
eat and of course enjoy!
Mmmm this looks absolutely heavenly
I am immensely thankful that you did not have to skin a gineau pig! That would have been most distressing. This dish looks beautiful – like comfort food at the end of a hard day.
Oh that looks soooooo satisfying – perfect comfort food – and with plenty of umami – yum!
Steve did his one today and I'm doing my one tomorrow.
I love pork belly too. This hot pot looks so delicious and satisfying. Oh Yum.
I got my book and the recipe. I just need to cook it. 🙂
Please tell me there isn't a guinea pig recipe in that book 🙁
I don't think I've ever had pork belly . . . I do like pork, and I'd probably enjoy this! I'll bet your home smelled delicious!
Genius doing the grill thing with the pork belly pieces! A bit of smokiness added to the sweet and sour broth … oh, man!
Glad you didn't have to de-bone the camel heart!
Pork belly is not something I have had a lot of, or ever cooked but your hotpot looks amazing.
I tried taking up your challenge, but I had to cheat – a lot. It was a comedy of errors, really.
I think I'm going to need a tissue to wipe the drool from my keyboard. Consider this added to my list of things to do!
http://foodviking.blogspot.com
well thanks all… it was a very intense flavour… I think next time I may reduce the amount of soy sauce as the salt content was quite high, other than that it was good… and no Michael, there is no recipe for Guinea Pig!!!!
@ Food Viking… how lovely for your keyboard… try wetwipes… oh and please try and take part in the challenge if you can x
Belly pork – meat for serious eaters – this looks so very good Dom, definitely one for after Lent when I'm back on red meat again…
I love pork belly and this looks so yummy, I've already done mine but will post it later in the week.
I think I need this for dinner, or lunch…
Oh you are brave Dom. I'd have had to pick again I reckon. For someone who doesn't eat pork even I think this looks superb!
This looks fabulous. Dangerous visiting here in the middle of the afternoon. ((drool))
I don't believe I've ever had pork belly. This looks delicious though.Soy sauce and pork are always a good mix.
looks so tasty 🙂 and love the idea of adding leeks to my fish pie
Thank you for being so forgiving of my ridiculous challenge entry.
Oh be still my beating heart!
This looks utterly fabulous – I think if I had RC Meat then it would probably fall open naturallly at this page! (Actually there's a recipe in RC Everyday that is very similar, but uses beef shin). Is it bad to be craving heavy duty meat before breakfast?
Well KitchenMaid. Remember its always dinnertime somewhere in the world!
Oh god – want, want, want! Can you post me a big bowl please?
Oh Dom! Just one week left before the end of March challenge. . . we have to cook our recipe: chicken sandwich . . .I'll let you know!LOL