SPICED PORK WITH PICKLED APPLE AND WOMBOK SALAD

Homemade five spice powder – it doesn’t take long to dry-fry and blitz – plus a quick-pickle technique set this luscious pork dish apart!

Preparation time 15 mins Cooking time 15 mins Serves 2 2 pork chops with some fat, approx. 300g each Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle 2 Tbsp kecap manis, plus extra, to serve

FIVE SPICE POWDER

1 long stick cinnamon, broken

6-7 star anise

10-12 whole cloves

1 Tbsp whole fennel seeds

1 Tbsp whole Szechuan peppercorns

PICKLED APPLE AND

WOMBOK SALAD

2 1™/2› Tbsp apple cider vinegar or

rice wine vinegar

™1/4 cup apple cider

2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey

1 tsp sea-salt flakes Freshly ground black pepper, to season

2 medium tart apples (such as Granny Smith), unpeeled, cut into matchsticks

1™/›2 wombok (Chinese cabbage),

finely sliced

3 sprigs mint, leaves picked Handful picked coriander leaves 50g fried noodles

STEP 1 For five spice powder, heat a pan on low and dry-fry cinnamon, star anise and cloves, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Remove spices from pan and cool. Fry fennel seeds and Szechuan peppercorns for 1-2 minutes, stirring to avoid burning. Remove from pan and cool. Combine all spices in a spice grinder and blitz until finely ground.

STEP 2 Score fat on chops and lightly oil them, then rub 1 tsp of five spice powder all over each chop on both sides. Set aside.

STEP 3 For salad, combine apple cider vinegar, apple cider, maple syrup and salt in a large bowl. Season with pepper. Stir in apple and set aside for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, toss wombok and half of the herbs. Add pickled apple and half of the pickling liquid, discarding the remainder.

STEP 4 Heat a frying or griddle pan, or barbecue plate, on medium. Brush pork with kecap manis on both sides. Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Toss fried noodles through salad, drizzle with extra kecap manis and garnish with remaining herbs. Serve pork with salad.