PORK BELLY PHYLLO BASKETS

“There are many ways to cook pork belly. Some love the outside crackling crispy and crunchy, but this recipe is for a soft and sticky belly. You can achieve a crispy crackling by raising the temperature of the oven to maximum for 10 minutes at the end of the cooking period. I don’t do this, though, because it often burns the sugar in the honey and the final product may come out bitter. The quantities given here should be read as a rough guide. The reason for this is that each pork belly is different in size, weight and amount of meat and fat. So use your discretion. I used to tie the pork belly (called trussing) with thick string, but if you fold the belly correctly you won’t need to do this.

It’s a bit of a schlep to untie once the belly is cooked.”

Serves 8

EASY

GREAT VALUE

Preparation: 20 minutes, plus overnight marinating time

Cooking: 1 hour

pork belly 1 x 2 kg garlic 2 cloves, crushed fresh rosemary a handful fresh thyme a handful honey 2 cups wholegrain mustard 1 cup

Dijon mustard 1T olive oil ¼ cup hoisin sauce 2T teriyaki sauce 2T

Maldon salt 1t crushed pepper 1t butter 125 g frozen phyllo pastry 4 sheets, thawed

1 Braise the pork belly in simmering water on the hob for 45 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Chop the garlic and herbs together. Add the honey, mustards, oil, sauces, salt and pepper to the garlicand-herb mix and combine well. Flatten the pork belly and, using a sharp knife, make incisions into the fatty side. Rub the mixture into the skin and meat on both sides. Marinate overnight or for a minimum of 12 hours. 2 Fold the belly into a log, with the skin on the outside. You can choose to tie it with string or, like I do, simply keep the folded end down and press the belly down. Just make sure it’s tightly folded. It shouldn’t unravel as it cooks, but it isn’t a train smash if it does unless you’re a chef and trying to go for presentation. 3 Grill in the oven (have the top element on) for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and sticky on the outside. Don’t worry if it looks underdone. Pork can still be slightly pink and it will carry on cooking out of the oven in its own heat. Don’t overcook it. If you’re really worried that it’s underdone, wrap it in foil and seal it in a casserole dish. Its own heat will finish cooking it. Cut the belly into cubes. 4 Melt the butter in a pan and unroll the phyllo pastry onto a work surface. Brush one sheet with the butter, and drape another on it. Brush the top sheet with more butter. Cut the phyllo into equal squares of about 15 x 15 cm.

5 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spray a muffin tray with nonstick cooking spray and line each muffin cup with the phyllo pastry. Bake until golden. Remove the baskets from the oven, and fill each one with the cubed pork. Serve immediately.

WINE: Woolworths La Motte Merlot 2017

Food is about connection. Africans are communal eaters, every traditional meal is an occasion”