Pork belly, kimchi, smoked tofu, shiitake, peanuts
Item 1 of 1
- medium
- 8
- 2 hours 30 minutes
Peter Gordon's magnificent pork belly recipe is paired with kimchi and a heavenly smoked tofu purée. The pork belly and kimchi require some time to prepare, with the belly first being brined before slowly roasting, pressing and finally deep-frying for a crispy finish. Make the kimchi the night before roasting and pressing the pork so that it has enough time to ferment.
First published in 2015
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Pork belly
- 1.5kg pork belly, boneless
- 1 tbsp of star anise, finely ground
- 80g of salt, fine
- 2 Braeburn apples, cut into 2cm thick slices
- 2 onions, peeled and cut into 1cm thick slices
- 800ml of pork stock
- 100ml of black vinegar
- 100ml of tamari
- 30ml of honey, runny
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Kimchi
- 400g of Chinese cabbage
- 400g of savoy cabbage
- 200g of Brussels sprouts, leaves removed from the stalk
- 15g of flaky sea salt
- 15g of caster sugar
- 40g of spring onions, thickly sliced
- 50g of carrots, peeled and julienned
Kimchi spice mix
- 30g of ginger, peeled and sliced
- 30g of garlic, peeled
- 8g of dried shrimp, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
- 50g of tamari
- 60g of fish sauce
- 40g of chilli powder, togarashi
- 120g of sugar
Smoked tofu purée
- silken tofu, 1 pack
- 60g of wood chips
- 30g of jasmine rice
- 30g of tamari
- 15g of Demerara sugar
- 50g of sunflower oil
Shiitake
- 200g of shiitake mushrooms, fresh, stalks removed and saved for stocks and sauces
- 1 tbsp of tamari
SAVE RECIPE
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- Deep fat fryer
- Deep roasting tray
- 1.5kg weight
Method
1
To prepare the pork belly, score the skin of the pork, with each incision 5mm apart. Combine the star anise and salt in a bowl, then rub the mix into the skin and flesh of the pork
- 1.5kg pork belly, boneless
- 1 tbsp of star anise, finely ground
- 80g of salt, fine
2
Place the pork in a deep dish that is large enough to hold it comfortably, and pour in enough water to cover by 2cm. Leave to brine in the fridge for 36 hours
3
Preheat the oven to 140°C/gas mark 1
4
After this time, remove the pork from the brine and pat dry. Line a roasting dish with parchment paper and spread out the apple and onion slices in an even layer. Place the pork belly on top with the skin facing up
- 2 Braeburn apples, cut into 2cm thick slices
- 2 onions, peeled and cut into 1cm thick slices
5
Cover the pork with a double layer of baking parchment and seal the dish tightly with foil or a lid. Place in the oven and cook for 7 hours
6
Remove the belly from the roasting dish and place in another dish lined with baking parchment. Top with a double layer of parchment, place a chopping board or tray on top and press down with a 1.5kg weight. Allow the belly to cool and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours
7
Chiffonade the Chinese and savoy cabbages and add to a bowl with the Brussels sprout leaves. Vigorously rub in the salt and the sugar and leave overnight in the fridge
- 400g of Chinese cabbage
- 400g of savoy cabbage
- 200g of Brussels sprouts, leaves removed from the stalk
- 15g of flaky sea salt
- 15g of caster sugar
8
The next day, make the kimchi spice mix by blitzing together all of the ingredients in a small food processor
- 30g of ginger, peeled and sliced
- 30g of garlic, peeled
- 8g of dried shrimp, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
- 50g of tamari
- 60g of fish sauce
- 40g of chilli powder, togarashi
- 120g of sugar
9
Squeeze any excess liquid from the cabbage mix and combine with the spring onion, carrot and kimchi spice mix
- 40g of spring onions, thickly sliced
- 50g of carrots, peeled and julienned
10
To make the smoked tofu purée, combine the wood chips and jasmine rice in the base of a hot-smoker. Split the tofu in half and place both halves on the rack in the smoker
- 60g of wood chips
- 30g of rice, jasmine
- silken tofu, 1 pack
11
Cover tightly with foil, ensuring that there are no gaps for the smoke to escape through. Place over a high heat for 2 minutes, then reduce the temperature and cook for another 3 minutes
12
Remove from the heat, set aside (still sealed) for 15 minutes, then remove the foil lid. Add the tofu into a food processor with the tamari, sugar and oil, and blitz until smooth. Season and set aside ready to re-heat before serving
- 30g of tamari
- 15g of Demerara sugar
- 50g of sunflower oil
14
Add the peanuts to a pan with enough peanut oil to cover by 1cm. Heat to 160°C and cook until golden. Drain well, spread out on a tray to cool then roughly chop
- peanut oil
15
To finish the pork belly, remove the weights and board and cut into 8 even portions. Add the stock, black vinegar, tamari, honey and cinnamon to a pan, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes
- 100ml of black vinegar
- 100ml of tamari
- 30ml of honey, runny
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 800ml of pork stock
16
Deep-fry the pork until golden, then place into the simmering sauce for 8 minutes to heat through. Drain well before serving
17
To prepare the mushrooms, dice the shiitake caps and place in a steamer for 3 minutes. Mix with the tamari and set aside until ready to serve
- 200g of shiitake mushrooms, fresh, stalks removed and saved for stocks and sauces
- 1 tbsp of tamari
18
Place the pork belly on a bed of the warm kimchi with a spoon of the hot tofu purée. Finish with the peanuts and mushrooms before serving
First published in 2015
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