Name: Roast pork rack with cherry-ginger relish
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 100 ml soy sauce; 100 gm pitted cherries, coarsely chopped; 80 ml Shaoxing wine; 80 gm honey; 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar; 1 tbsp finely grated ginger, plus extra thickly sliced; 3 star anise; 1 tsp Chinese five-spice; 1 pork rack (about 1.8kg with 6 cutlets), skin scored; 6 spring onions, coarsely chopped; Cherry-ginger relish; 2 tbsp grapeseed oil; 2 golden shallots, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 tbsp finely grated ginger; 350 gm pitted cherries, halved; 1 tbsp caster sugar, or to taste; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 150 ml Shaoxing wine; 90 ml Chinkiang vinegar; Chinese slaw; 400 gm Chinese cabbage, thinly shaved on mandolin; 1 cup (loosely packed) bean sprouts, trimmed; ¾ cup (loosely packed) coriander; 3 spring onions, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp grapeseed oil; 2 tbsp brown rice vinegar; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp finely grated ginger; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Pork and cherries make a perfect combination – in this case we’ve added Chinese flavours in the form of soy sauce, ginger and star anise. The cherry-ginger relish would also be excellent served with your Christmas ham. Start this recipe a day ahead to make the relish.

Ingredients

100 ml soy sauce

100 gm pitted cherries, coarsely chopped

80 ml Shaoxing wine

80 gm honey

2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar

1 tbsp finely grated ginger, plus extra thickly sliced

3 star anise

1 tsp Chinese five-spice

1 pork rack (about 1.8kg with 6 cutlets), skin scored

6 spring onions, coarsely chopped

Cherry-ginger relish

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

2 golden shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp finely grated ginger

350 gm pitted cherries, halved

1 tbsp caster sugar, or to taste

1 tbsp soy sauce

150 ml Shaoxing wine

90 ml Chinkiang vinegar

Chinese slaw

400 gm Chinese cabbage, thinly shaved on mandolin

1 cup (loosely packed) bean sprouts, trimmed

¾ cup (loosely packed) coriander

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

2 tbsp brown rice vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp finely grated ginger

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Method

Main

1.For cherry-ginger relish, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté shallot and garlic until tender (3-4 minutes), then add ginger and stir until fragrant. Add cherries, sugar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and 150ml water, bring to a simmer and cook until cherries are tender and liquid reduces by half (4-5 minutes), then stir in vinegar. Season to taste with pepper and refrigerate for at least 24 hours for flavours to develop. Cherry-ginger relish will keep refrigerated for up to a month.

2.Preheat oven to 220C. Stir soy sauce, cherries, Shaoxing, honey, vinegar, ginger and spices in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, cook until cherries turn pulpy, then set aside to cool. Place pork rack, skin-side up on a bed of sliced ginger and spring onions in a roasting pan large enough to fit pork snugly. Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 180C. Pour soy sauce mixture into pan, cover pork with foil and roast for 1 hour, basting meat occasionally with pan juices. Remove foil, roast until crackling forms (20-25 minutes), then rest for 20 minutes.

3.For Chinese slaw, combine cabbage, bean sprouts, coriander and spring onion in a bowl and season to taste. Whisk remaining ingredients in a bowl, add to cabbage mixture to taste and toss lightly to mix well. Serve with pork and pan juices, and cherry-ginger relish.

Styling by Emma Knowles

Styling by Lucy Tweed

Ingredients

Method

Main

Related stories