Asian-style, slow-braised pork belly with orange & soy

Get creative in your kitchen with an aromatic and tender Asian-style slow-braised pork belly. This recipe from Spier Wine Farm is so good, you’ll want to make it over and over again. Serve the pork belly on a bed of luscious cauliflower puree, or your choice of mashed potatoes or noodles with Asian greens. Enjoy this delectable meal at home with a glass of Spier Seaward Shiraz.

Note: The skin is not crisped to crackling as with many other pork belly recipes, but rather, the slow-braising makes the skin incredibly tender, which is a low-stress, softer way of serving it.

Ingredients:

1,2 kg boneless pork belly, skin-side scored (choose a meaty cut with a thinner fat layer)

125 ml soy sauce

125 ml water

juice of 1 large orange

3 strips peeled orange rind

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated

2 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

4 cloves

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Use a very sharp non-serrated knife to cut the belly neatly into 4-6 rectangular portions. Arrange the portions tightly together (skin side up) in a rectangular roasting tray.

In a mixing jug, add the soy, water, orange juice, rind, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and sugar. Stir to mix, then pour all over the belly (the liquid should just about cover the belly portions). Roast the belly for 3 hours until very tender – do not cover the roasting tray.

Remove from the oven and transfer the remaining liquid to a sauce pan, skimming off any excess fat. Thicken the sauce (if desired) with a teaspoon of maize flour dissolved in a tablespoon or two of water, and stir over medium heat until thick and glossy. Set aside until ready to serve.

Serve the belly portions hot and drizzle with the sauce before serving. The pork belly can be accompanied by cauliflower puree or mashed potato or noodles with steamed Asian greens. This recipe serves 4-6.

About the wine: Spier Seaward Shiraz
Beautiful layered aromas of mulberry, violets and subtle pepper and anise. The mid-palate is balanced with concentrated fruit flavours and smooth, dense tannins.

For more information about the wine, please visit:

https://shop.spier.co.za/collections/seaward

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