An original champion of sustainable practices in the hospitality trade, Cameron Matthews has spent decades working at the uppermost echelons of Australian food. His Selector dish, a mouth-watering pork belly recipe, melts in the mouth when enjoyed with a
Twice-cooked pork with pickled baby cucumbers
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 mins plus overnight standing of pickled cucumbers Cook time: 4–5 hrs
12kg boneless free range, high
welfare pork belly
2 heads organic Australian garlic,
smashed
5 x 10cm sprigs rosemary
Sea salt and freshly ground black
pepper
Olive oil, for shallow frying
1. Pre-heat oven to 110ºC.
2. Place the pork skin side up into a heavy casserole with a lid, cover with cold water and add the garlic and rosemary and season very generously with sea salt and pepper. Cover and place into oven.
Cook for approximately 4–5 hours until very soft, a skewer should easily slide through the thickest part, check every hour or so to make sure that water doesn’t all evaporate, if so, add 250ml water and continue to cook.
3. When cool, remove from oven and allow to cool in pot. When cool enough to handle, remove from the cooking liquor (reserve juices for another use) place onto a tray and chill until you’re ready to cook it.
4. Heat 2cm of oil in a deep pan, very carefully lower the cold pork in the oil, being careful as it will spit, shallow fry until crisp and golden, approx. 8-9 minutes.
5. Remove to a draining rack and season with salt, serve immediately.
Pickled baby cucumbers
125g sea salt
1kg small pickling cucumbers, washed 1 serrano red chilli, sliced
4 bay leaves
10g peppercorns
1L white vinegar
125g white sugar
1. Combine salt and 1 litre of water in a large glass bowl. Stir until salt dissolves. Add cucumbers to salted water. Cover. Stand at room temperature overnight.
2. Drain cucumbers. Rinse under cold water. Place into jars with chillies, bay leaves and peppercorns.
3. Place vinegar and sugar into a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Set aside to cool completely. Pour over cucumbers, making sure the cucumbers are completely covered. Seal jars when still hot.