Braised red sticky pork with cucumber salad
Gloriously slow-cooked pork in a sticky sauce takes centre stage in this Asian-inspired dish from Saturday Kitchen.
Ingredients
For the pork
- 500g/1lb 2oz pork belly, skin on and in one square piece
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ onion, sliced
- 2 red chillies, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp crushed fresh root ginger
- 1 star anise
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 300–500ml/10–18fl oz chicken stock or water
- 6 spring onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- cooked jasmine rice, to serve
For the cucumber salad
- 1 cucumber
- pinch salt
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 1½–2 tbsp black vinegar
Method
To make the pork, bring a large pan of water to the boil, then put the whole piece of pork belly into the boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Allow to cool, remove the fat, then cut into 4cm/1½in cubes.
Add the brown sugar to a large frying pan with a lid. Place over a high heat and allow the sugar to caramelise and turn brown without stirring. Add the onions, chilli, garlic and ginger. Stir to coat in the caramel before adding the aromatics – star anise, coriander seeds and cinnamon stick – then add the cubed pork, Shaoxing rice wine and soy sauce. Coat everything in the pan well, then pour in with the chicken stock or water. Reduce the heat, cover with the lid and simmer gently for 2 hours until soft.
Meanwhile, to make the cucumber salad, smash the cucumber using a rolling pin into roughly 5cm/2in chunks. Put into a bowl along with the salt and the sugar. Toss to coat then place in a colander and allow to soften for 10 minutes. Tip back into a bowl.
Heat the oil and garlic in a small frying pan over a medium heat. When the garlic is golden brown but not burnt, remove from the heat and mix with the cucumber. Stir in the soy sauce, coriander and vinegar.
Once the pork is cooked, add the spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve with smashed cucumber salad and cooked jasmine rice.