Get spiced pork in your belly
HOISON GLAZED MULL PORK BELLY WITH CINNAMON AND BOK CHOY
by Carla Lamont of The Ninth Wave
MULL free-range pork is so flavourful in this recipe.
The delicious fat bastes the meat by itself and ends up wonderfully caramelised and tender.
We use sweet woodruff to impart a decidedly spicy aspect to the pork, but you can use cinnamon instead.
The pork is possibly even better when reheated as leftovers.
The Ninth Wave Restaurant has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Highlands & Island Food & Drink Awards this year in the Restaurant of The Year category.
For more information about the awards visit: http://www. hifoodanddrinkawards.com
For more information about the restaurant visit: http://www. ninthwaverestaurant.co.uk
Serves 4 INGREDIENTS
1 kg/2lb 4oz pork belly
1⁄4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp five-spice powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp grated palm sugar or brown sugar
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 star anise
6 shallots, finely chopped
260ml/9 oz pork stock
1 tsp sea salt
4 heads bok choy
Garnish: (optional) Spring onions Sweet woodruff Clover flowers
METHOD
1 Using a very sharp knife, slice the pork into strips about 1.5cm thick. Do not remove the skin or fat which will become yummy and unctuous when cooked. Mix one tablespoon of the soy sauce with the cinnamon, honey and five-spice powder in a bowl, and marinade the sliced pork in the mixture for one to three hours in the fridge.
2 Heat the oil to a high temperature in a heavy-bottomed pan with a wellfitting lid. Fry the garlic, shallots, star anise and sugar together until they begin to turn gold. Turn the heat down to medium and add the pork and marinade to the pan. Fry the pork until it is browned on all sides.
3 Add the stock, salt and the rest of the soy sauce. Bring the mix to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and continue to simmer for two hours, turning the meat regularly. Add a little water to the pan if the sauce seems to be reducing and thickening too much.
4 Just before serving, cut the bok choy in half and steam for two minutes. Serve on warmed plates with the pork belly. Garnish with spring onions, sweet woodruff or clover flowers.