Spicy Sticky Braised Belly Pork

I was contacted by a representative of 100% NZ Pork to see if I would be interested to help promote New Zealand pork by creating a recipes with their produce. In our house we only ever buy New Zealand free range pork, so this was an easy yes to promoting locally grown produce rather than imported.

100% NZ Pork also have a great website, Extraordinary Kitchen supported by well known Kiwi chefs offering more recipes and information on our local pork products.

Belly pork is one of my favourite cuts of pork, I know many people shy away from it because of the fat content but it adds so much more to a dish and tenderness to the cooked meat. Personally I would rather eat good honest fat that hasn’t been processed than the stuff hidden in processed food and lets face it, your not going to eat it every day.

I love this Chinese style spicy sticky pork, it has few ingredients and is easy to prepare and if you don’t want it too hot cut down the chillies in the recipe. It’s perfect served with steamed rice and vegetables. Any left overs, if by a small miracle there are any, is perfect shredded and stuffed into a roll for lunch the next day.

If you like this recipe I also have a belly pork cassoulet recipe and pork and mushroom stroganoff pie recipe coming soon too! I do love winter for its hearty food, I think that’s my Northern English background taking over.

Ingredients
500g New Zealand Belly Pork
Vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 Cinnamon stick
6 star anise
2 -4 dried chillies, finely chopped
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2tbsp dark soy sauce
2tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar

Method
Cut the belly pork into 1 inch cubes.
Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a heavy based or cast iron frying pan, and heat over a medium high heat.
Add the belly pork cubes to the pan when the oil is hot.
Cook the belly pork on all sides until golden brown (approx a minute on each side).
Add the grated ginger, star anise cinnamon stick and chillies to the pan and fry for a few more minutes. Stand back as the chili fumes can make you eyes water!
Add the water and bring to the boil, then turn heat down to low and place a lid on the frying pan.
Cook on simmer for 45 minutes until pork is tender but still firm.
Remove the pork from the pan and set aside.
Whisk together the sugar, vinegar and soy sauce then add to the pan, boiling the liquid until it reduces by half.
Add the pork back to the pan and continue to cook until the juices reduce and become sticky. Stir constantly at this stage.
Serve the pork with steamed rice and a side of steamed Bok Choi.

About these ads