Name: Braised pork belly with Thai basil & tofu
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 25 min
Total time: 3 h 55 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1.5-2kg boneless pork belly cut into 8 pieces, skin left on; 2 onions sliced; 8 spring onions sliced; 4 tsp caster sugar; 3 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar; 1 tsp chicken stock powder; 900g firm tofu cut into cubes; 3 small packs Thai basil leaves only; 50g ginger peeled and roughly chopped; 6 garlic cloves roughly chopped; 10 fat green chillies seeds left in, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Braised pork belly with Thai basil & tofu

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1.5-2kg boneless pork belly
cut into 8 pieces, skin left on
2 onions
sliced
8 spring onions
sliced
4 tsp caster sugar
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp chicken stock
powder
900g firm tofu
cut into cubes
3 small packs Thai basil
leaves only

For the spice paste

50g ginger
peeled and roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves
roughly chopped
10 fat green chillies
seeds left in, roughly chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

step 1
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a heavy, wide flameproof casserole dish and brown the skin side of the pork pieces for about 5 mins. You’ll need to do this in batches, setting the pork aside each time. Meanwhile, make the spice paste. Put the ginger, garlic, chillies and oil into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
step 2
Heat another 1 tbsp oil in the dish, add the onions and spring onions, and fry for 10 mins until soft. Turn the heat to low, add the spice paste and gently fry for 2-3 mins until fragrant.
step 3
Nestle the pork pieces in the onions and pour in enough cold water to just cover. Stir in the sugar, soy sauces, vinegar, stock and 1 tsp salt, and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer on a low heat for 1 hr 30 mins. Add the tofu and Thai basil, and continue to cook for another 30 mins, by which time the pork will be very tender. Season to taste, then serve.