The pork belly from Red Spice Road is iconic and now you can make it at home. Make it for your family or friends and I'm sure they'll be impressed.
Watch our video on how to make this scrumptious pork belly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIsKVfv7HGc
Recipe adapted from https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/red-spice-roads-pork-belly-with-chilli-caramel-and-apple-slaw-20150830-41x76
Ingredients:
Pork
- 1kg piece pork belly, boneless
- 1 litre water
- 200ml light soy sauce
- 100ml sweet soy sauce
- 7 whole star anise
- 2 cups tapioca flour
- 3 tbsp five-spice powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 litres vegetable oil for deep frying
- black vinegar to serve
Chilli caramel
- 700g castor sugar
- 300ml water
- 2 small red chillies, chopped
- 15 whole star anise
- 150ml fish sauce
Apple slaw
- 1 cup finely shredded wombok (Chinese cabbage)
- 1 small handful coriander leaves
- 8 Vietnamese mint leaves
- 8 shiso leaves, finely sliced (if you can't find this it's fine to omit)
- 5 mint leaves, torn
- 1 small green apple (remove skin and cut into matchsticks)
- red cabbage and red chillies for garnish
Dressing
- 30ml lime juice
- 20ml fish sauce
- 1 tbsp castor sugar
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 130C. Place the pork belly into a baking tray with water, light soy, sweet soy and star anise. Cover pork with a sheet of baking paper and cover baking tray with foil.
- Put in the oven and cook for 6 hours. Check occasionally to make sure the liquid doesn't reduce too much and add a little water if required.
- Pour the liquid into a jug (for later use) and refrigerate pork until completely cold (overnight if possible).
- Make the chilli caramel by combining sugar and water in a pan. Bring to boil without stirring and brush the sides occasionally with a wet pastry brush to stop crystallisation. Add the chilli and star anise then continue to boil until the syrup lightly golden. Reduce the heat to avoid spattering and add the fish sauce. Strain and set aside for later use.
- Back to the pork, cut the pork into 90g squares and pour around 100ml of the reserved cooking liquid and stir to coat. Combine the tapioca flour, five-spice powder and salt into a large bowl and whisk together. Pop the pork pieces into the flour mix and coat them well shaking off any excess. Set aside on tray for around 30 minutes to help the starch mix stick to the pork.
- Heat the oil in a pan to about 170C. Cook in two batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. Cook the pieces for around five minutes, or until the outside is crisp and golden.
- Make the apple slaw. Place all the slaw ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Make the dressing. Place all the dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk it all together. Dress the slaw.
- Ready to plate up. Place the pork pieces into a serving bowl then pour the chilli caramel over the pork pieces. Place the apple slaw on top and garnish with red cabbage and red chillies. Serve with a small jug of black vinegar.
I heart the Red Spice Road Pork Belly!
Olives x
