Name: Sticky pork belly with Vietnamese-style salad & smashed peanuts
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 25 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 600g pork belly; 6 tbsp hoisin sauce; 3 tbsp clear honey; 3 tbsp rice vinegar; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 4 tbsp tomato ketchup; 2.5cm piece ginger peeled and finely chopped; Coconut rice to serve (see see tip, below); ¼ cucumber cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler; 6 radishes sliced; 75g sugar snap pea halved horizontally; 2 spring onions thinly sliced; 2 tbsp mint leaves, large leaves torn; 2 tbsp Thai basil large leaves torn (use coriander if you can't find this); 1 tbsp salted peanut toasted and lightly smashed in a pestle and mortar; 1 small red chilli finely chopped; ½ garlic clove grated; juice ½ lime (leftover from crab cakes); 1 ½ tsp light brown sugar; 1 tbsp rice vinegar

Sticky pork belly with Vietnamese-style salad & smashed peanuts

600g pork belly
6 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp clear honey
3 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2.5cm piece ginger
peeled and finely chopped
Coconut rice
to serve (see see tip, below)

For the salad

¼ cucumber
cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
6 radishes
sliced
75g sugar snap pea
halved horizontally
2 spring onions
thinly sliced
2 tbsp mint
leaves, large leaves torn
2 tbsp Thai basil
large leaves torn (use coriander if you can't find this)
1 tbsp salted peanut
toasted and lightly smashed in a pestle and mortar

For the dressing

1 small red chilli
finely chopped
½ garlic clove
grated
juice ½ lime
(leftover from crab cakes)
1 ½ tsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar

Method

step 1
Remove the rind from the pork and put the meat in a large sealable food bag or casserole dish. In a bowl, mix the hoisin, honey, vinegar, soy, ketchup and ginger, then pour over the pork and massage well. Seal the bag or cover the dish and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hrs, or overnight.
step 2
Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Transfer the pork and its marinade to a snug roasting tin, lined with foil. Pour over 50ml water, cover with foil and roast for 2 hrs, or until tender, basting halfway through. Take the pork out and increase oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the foil and pour the sauce into a small pan. Bring the sauce to the boil and let it bubble until thick and syrupy. Brush some of the sauce all over the pork and pop back in the oven, uncovered, for 20 mins until sticky and caramelised in places. Transfer to a chopping board, cover lightly with foil and leave to rest for 20 mins.
step 3
Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Toss all the ingredients, except the peanuts, together in a bowl. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients and set aside. Reheat the remaining sauce, adding a splash of water if it has become too thick. Toss the dressing through the salad and divide between 2 plates, then top with the smashed peanuts. Cut the pork into thick slices, arrange alongside the salad, then drizzle over the sauce. Serve with Coconut rice (see tip, below).