CRISPY PORK BELLY with CARAMEL VINEGAR SAUCE:

CRISPY PORK BELLY with CARAMEL VINEGAR SAUCE:
(honestvanilla)

Ingredients:

1Kg Pork belly(preferably uncut in a slab);

1Tbsp ginger minced; 1Tbsp minced garlic;

1Tbsp 5-spice powder;

1/4tsp white pepper

sea salt.

METHOD: 

1) Rub coarse sea salt on pork belly & rinse through with running water.

2) Blanch belly in boiling water & pour it over the meat.

3) Pat the skin of the belly dry with a kitchen towel.

4) mix minced ginger, garlic, 5-spice powder & white pepper in a bowl & rub the marinate on the meaty part of the belly DO NOT RUB ON SKIN, it's crucial to keep the skin super dry to achieve the crunchiness.

5) Cling-wrap & let marinate for at least 2hrs in the fridge, or overnight.

6) Preheat oven to 220dC.

7) Line pork belly on a baking tray with skin up.

8) Pat the skin dry again to get rid of moisture from the fridge before putting it in the oven. Let it roast for 20mins.

9) Remove from oven & randomly puncture skin witk a fork. Sprinkle sea salt on the skin & let it roast again for another 20mins. Start preparing sauce. 

10) after 20mins is up, add another 10mins to timer & move baking tray a rack higher & up the heat to 250dC. Keep checking to ensure that the skin is blistering evenly & not blackened. Add more salt & puncture more holes if necessary.

11) Remove from oven & let it cool for 10-15mins before slicing. DO NOT COVER as this will soften the perfectly blistered skin!

ONIONS & BEETROOT:

2med-sized yellow onions peeled & sliced thickly in horizontal (latitude) strokes. It looks prettier & onion layers won't fall apart.

2 beetroots, washed & scrubbed,

1Tbsp rosemary,

sea salt, black peppercorns & olive oil.

Trim sprouting top of beetroot & quarter it vertically, leaving skin on. Lay both onion & beetroot away from pork belly, placing them in corner of baking tray. Season with rosemary, sea salt freshly ground black pepper & a slug of olive oil. (This can be done while pork is still in oven) or can be done immediately after pork has been removed from oven, or with meat still in oven. Just keep an eye on oven temp if cooked seperately

CARAMEL, SPICE, ORANGE & VINEGAR SAUCE:

2 star anise;

1 cinnamon stick;

1 Cup chicken stock;

½ Cup brown sugar;

¼ Cup red wine vinegar;

juice of 1 orange & 4 long strips of orange peel.

METHOD: Stir red wine vinegar, brown sugar, star anise & cinnamon over med heat in a pan. Keep stirring until sugar dissolves completely. Bring to a boil & quickly lower heat to simmer for 5mins. Add chicken stock & simmer another 10mins. Once liquid has reduced slightly, pour in orange juice & peel. Let simmer until it's thick & syrupy. Drizzle generously on each cut of pork & serve immediately

5-SPICE POWDER MIX:

1tsp ground cinnamon;

1tsp anise seed crushed;

¼ tsp fennel seed, crushed;

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper corns, crushed

1/8tsp ground cloves.http://lekkerreseptevirdiejongergeslag.blogspot.com/2013/05/crispy-pork-belly-with-caramel-vinegar.html