Five spice pork belly with Asian broth and stir-fried vegetables
Andi Oliver's succulent pork belly takes a few hours but the results are sublime.
Ingredients
For the five spice pork belly
- 4 whole cloves
- ¼ star anise
- 10 whole green cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 500g/1lb 2oz pork belly, skin removed and reserved
- 2 onions, thickly sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 400ml/14fl oz cider
- knob of butter
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Asian broth
- 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
- 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2cm/¾in fresh root ginger, chopped
- 1 red chilli, chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
For the stir-fried vegetables
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 bok choi, leaves separated
- ½ Chinese cabbage, shredded
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grind all the whole spices to a powder. Rub the pork belly with all the ground spices, then lay in a roasting tin on top of the onions, bay leaves and garlic. Cover with foil and roast for 3 hours or until meltingly tender.
When the pork is cooked, pour off the cooking liquid from the tray, add a little cider and reduce until syrupy. Finish with the butter and balsamic vinegar.
Preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9. Lay the pork skin on a flat tray, season and top with another tray. Roast in the oven until the pork skin is crispy and golden.
To make the Asian broth, place all the ingredients into a large saucepan and cook for 15–20 minutes, then set aside.
To make the vegetables, heat a wok over a high heat. Add the oil, and once hot add the vegetables and cook for 3–5 minutes or until wilted.
To serve, place the vegetables in the centre of the serving bowl and place a slice of the pork on top. Spoon the broth around the pork and vegetables. Garnish with fresh coriander and the chilli from the broth.
