James Martin pays homage to Ken Hom with this crisp pork belly seasoned with Chinese spices.
Ingredients
- For Ken Hom’s crisp pork belly
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- 1.5 kg/3lb 5oz boneless
pork belly, with rind - 4 tbsp coarse
sea salt - 2 tbsp ground roasted
Sichuan peppercorns - 2 tsp freshly ground
white pepper - 2 tbsp Chinese
five-spice powder - 1 tbsp
caster sugar
- 1.5 kg/3lb 5oz boneless
- For the Chinese greens
-
- 2 tbsp
vegetable oil - 4
spring onions, finely sliced - 150g/5½oz
mangetout, finely sliced - 4 heads
bok choi, roots removed, leaves separated - 1 red
chilli, deseeded and julienned - 2 tbsp
soy sauce - 1 tbsp
sesame oil
- 2 tbsp
Preparation method
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For the crisp pork belly, pierce the rind side of pork with a sharp fork or knife until the skin is covered with fine holes. Insert a meat hook into the meat to secure it.
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Bring a large pan of water to a boil and, using a large ladle, pour the hot water over the rind side of the pork several times. This is best done suspending the pork above the sink. Set the pork belly aside.
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Heat a wok until it is hot, then add the salt, both peppers, five-spice powder and sugar and stir fry the mixture for three minutes. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
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When the mixture is cool enough to handle, rub it into the flesh side of the pork. Hang the meat to dry for eight hours or overnight in a cool place or in front of a fan. Alternatively, place the meat on a wire rack set above a roasting tin.
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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Place the pork on a wire rack, rind-side up, over a deep roasting pan filled about one third with water and roast for 20 minutes.
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Reduce the heat to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and continue to roast for two hours. Turn the oven back up to 230C/450F/Gas 8 and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the oven and allow the pork to cool.
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For the Chinese greens, heat a wok and add the oil. Once hot, add the spring onions cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the mangetout, bok choi, chilli and three tablespoons of water and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
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Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and mix to coat the vegetables.
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To serve, carve the pork into bite-sized pieces, arrange on a platter and serve with the Chinese greens.