Wednesday, November 21, 2018

BOILED PORK BELLY WITH GARLIC SAUCE

BOILED PORK BELLY WITH GARLIC SAUCE

 Serves 4

This dish originates from Sichuan in China, but it has become really popular in Taiwan where it is served cold during the hot summer months. There are many different ways to make the garlic sauce and this recipe belongs to my grandfather. He is originally from Sichuan and he used to cook this dish often when I was young. You can adjust the seasoning for this dish to suit your personal preference.

1.25 litres (40 fl oz / 5 cups) water 
1 Tbsp rice wine 
1 tsp salt 
1 star anise
2 cardamom pods 
30 g (1 oz) spring onion 
2 knobs ginger, each about 2.5 cm (1 in) 
1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) pork belly 
1 cucumber, thinly sliced 
1 Tbsp roasted crushed peanuts (optional) 
Garlic Sauce 
4 Tbsp light soy sauce 
1 tsp sugar 
1 /2 tsp rice vinegar 
1 tsp black vinegar 
30 g (1 oz) garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1. Place the water, rice wine, salt, star anise, cardamom pods, spring onion and ginger into a stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 
2. Add the pork belly and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour until the pork is done. Test by piercing the pork with chopsticks. The chopsticks should go through the meat easily. Set aside to cool. 
3. Place all the ingredients for the garlic sauce in a bowl. Add 2 Tbsp of stock from the stockpot and mix well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes. 
4. Using a sharp knife, slice the cooled pork into 3-mm (1 /8-in) thick slices. 
5. Arrange the pork on a serving plate with the cucumbers. Garnish with crushed peanuts if desired. Serve with the garlic sauce

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