Name: Pork in sweet soy with sambal, fried shallots and eggplant
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 260 min
Total time: 300 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1.5 kg piece of pork belly, skin on; 250 ml (1 cup) kecap manis; 60 ml (¼ cup) each rice wine vinegar and fish sauce; 3 dried long red chillies; 1 star anise; ½ tsp white peppercorns, coarsely crushed; Sambal; 50 gm finely grated fresh coconut; 30 gm shrimp paste; 7 long red chillies, coarsely chopped; 3 small golden shallots, coarsely chopped; 7 gm ginger, coarsely chopped; 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped; 1 tsp roasted chilli flakes; 100 ml peanut oil; 20 gm dark palm sugar, coarsely chopped; Fried shallots and eggplant; 300 ml vegetable oil; 6 red shallots, shaved on a mandolin; 2 baby eggplant, thinly sliced diagonally

Pork belly will never go out of fashion – and when it’s braised slowly the skin becomes gelatinous and the meat juicy and rich. A sweet sauce with a hit of chilli makes the perfect partner.

Ingredients

1.5 kg piece of pork belly, skin on

250 ml (1 cup) kecap manis

60 ml (¼ cup) each rice wine vinegar and fish sauce

3 dried long red chillies

1 star anise

½ tsp white peppercorns, coarsely crushed

Sambal

50 gm finely grated fresh coconut

30 gm shrimp paste

7 long red chillies, coarsely chopped

3 small golden shallots, coarsely chopped

7 gm ginger, coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

1 tsp roasted chilli flakes

100 ml peanut oil

20 gm dark palm sugar, coarsely chopped

Fried shallots and eggplant

300 ml vegetable oil

6 red shallots, shaved on a mandolin

2 baby eggplant, thinly sliced diagonally

Method

Main

1.Preheat oven to 150C. Place pork in a casserole or roasting pan skin-side up. Combine kecap manis, vinegar, fish sauce, chilli, star anise and peppercorns in a saucepan with 40ml water, bring to the simmer over medium-high heat, then pour mixture over pork belly, cover with a lid or foil and braise in oven until meat pulls apart easily (3½ hours). Remove lid and cook, basting regularly, until glazed (30 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside.

2.Meanwhile, for sambal, process ingredients except peanut oil and sugar in a small food processor until smooth, then transfer to a small saucepan, add oil and stir occasionally until toasted and fragrant (5-7 minutes). Add sugar and stir until melted and caramelised (3-5 minutes), then set aside.

3.For fried shallots and eggplant, heat oil in a saucepan or wok over medium heat and cook shallots and eggplant separately in batches, turning constantly, until golden and crisp, (1-2 minutes). Drain on paper towels, then combine in a bowl.

4.Remove pork from braising liquid and set aside. Skim fat from the top of the liquid, transfer liquid to a small saucepan and bring to the simmer over medium-high heat (continue cooking to reduce further if you prefer a thicker sauce).

5.Cut pork into 6 pieces and serve drizzled with a little braising liquid, and scatter with fried shallots and eggplant, and sambal to taste.