Aromatic barbecued meat

> This homemade pork belly recipe is inspired by the Chinese favourite char siu dish

WHEN it comes to pork meat, the belly section is one of the most versatile cuts of meat, in my opinion. In Asian cooking, pork belly is used to make many delicious dishes, as the proportion of fat to lean meat in this cut makes it soft and succulent after cooking. That’s why you can find it in stews or soups, and roasted or baked.

This recipe gives you a homemade equivalent of the Chinese barbecued pork that we commonly refer to as ‘char siu’. However, there is no sugar added into the marinade, and neither is the red food colouring that gives the char siu its reddish hue.

Instead, a combination of garlic, honey, five-spice powder, and soy sauce is used in this version that gives the pork belly a mildly sweet and aromatic flavour.

If you do not wish to use pork, I would suggest chicken thighs with the skin intact as a substitute.

GARLIC HONEY SOY SAUCE PORK BELLY

Ingredients (serves 2) 350g skinless pork belly (or boneless chicken thighs) 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sesame oil 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 2tbsp) 1 tsp five-spice powder 4 tbsp honey 1-2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Method 1. Mix the salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, chopped garlic, five-spice powder and honey together. Add chilli flakes if needed. 2. Place the pork belly in a ziplock plastic

bag or covered container. 3. Pour the sauce mixture over the pork belly and rub it thoroughly into the meat. 4. Leave in the fridge to marinate

overnight, or for at least two hours. 5. Preheat oven to 200°C. 6. Place the pork belly on a wire rack. Remove any bits of garlic that are stuck to it. 7. Save the marinade liquid. 8. Place the wire rack with the pork belly over a baking pan to collect the drippings. 9. Bake for 15 minutes. 10. After 15 minutes, turn the pork belly over, brush the marinade liquid onto the meat, and bake for another 15 minutes. 11. When done, remove from oven and leave it to rest, until it is cool enough to cut. 12. Cut the pork belly into 1cm thick slices, or according to your preferred thickness. 13. Bring the remaining marinade liquid to a boil and simmer until slightly reduced. 14. If you want it thicker, mix 1tsp of cornflour with 2tsp of water, and add the mixture into the simmering marinade. Cook until it thickens. 15. Serve the pork belly and marinade sauce with other dishes of your choice, such as rice or noodles and vegetables for a complete meal.