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Soy-braised pork belly

Published: 27 Jan 20
Updated: 18 Mar 24

”This simple yet punchy dish, using what I believe to be the best part of the piggy, requires little effort to deliver big results. It’s also delicious crisped up in a pan or served cold and thinly sliced in a salad.” – Matt Tebutt

Or, opt for more classic flavours with this slow-roast pork belly with sherry gravy and mint relish.

Medium
December 2018

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4-6
Hands-on time 25 min, simmering time 2½-3 hours, plus 6-12 hours marinating and cooling

Or, opt for more classic flavours with this slow-roast pork belly with sherry gravy and mint relish.

Dairy-free recipes

Nutrition: For 6

Calories: 644kcals
Fat: 38.3g (13.5g saturated)
Protein: 53g
Carbohydrates: 14.5g (11.2g sugars)
Fibre: 3.1g
Salt: 4.7g

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Ingredients

1-1.5kg British free-range, bone-in pork belly

For the marinade

5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small hot red chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp palm sugar (see Know-how)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
Glug sunflower oil

For the stock

250ml soy sauce
Juice 1 orange
1 large cinnamon stick
2 star anise
200ml dry sherry
1 spring cabbage or ½ savoy cabbage, shredded
4 pak choi, shredded
20-30g butter to taste

To serve

Rice of your choice, sliced spring onions and English mustard

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Method

Put all the marinade ingredients, except the oil, in a pestle and mortar and crush to a paste. Add oil to loosen the mixture, then massage it into the meat. Cover and chill for 6-12 hours.
Put the soy sauce, orange juice, spices and sherry in a large saucepan or casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Stir in 1.75 litres cold water, then bring up to a simmer. Remove the meat from the marinade and lower into the stock. Simmer gently, covered, for 2½-3 hours until the meat is tender and the bones slide out easily. Set aside to cool with the meat still in its stock. Skim off any fat that rises to the top (see tip).
Transfer the meat to a chopping board (keep the stock but discard the flavourings). Cut the pork into 5cm cubes (discard the bones) and return to the pan – see Make Ahead.

Put the stock pan back on the heat and bring back up to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to reheat the pork, then lift out the meat, set aside on a board and keep warm under foil. Add the cabbage and pak choi to the stock and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. Remove the pan from the heat, then swirl in butter to taste.
Divide the veg among 4 bowls, add a ladleful of stock to each, then top with pieces of the pork. Serve with steamed or fried rice, garnished with sliced spring onions, with English mustard on the side.

Recipe from December 2018 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 644kcals
Fat: 38.3g (13.5g saturated)
Protein: 53g
Carbohydrates: 14.5g (11.2g sugars)
Fibre: 3.1g
Salt: 4.7g

delicious. tips

Spoon off as much fat as possible as the meat cooks. If making ahead, discard most of the solidified fat on the surface before completing the recipe.
Complete the recipe up to the end of step 3 up to 2 days ahead. Cover the cooled stock and pork cubes and chill until ready to finish the recipe.
Palm sugar is made from the boiled-down sap of the coconut palm. If you can’t find it in the supermarket, use the same quantity of demerara sugar.
Chilled Australian riesling, juicy and lime-soused, is spot on.