Pork porn

My journey deeper into the gelatinous underworld of pork love continues. Picked up some trotters to experiment with pieds de porc/pieds de cochon from Grigson's Charcuterie (great book.....to be reviewed).

For today, a braised pork belly, Asian style, with a braised Chinese cabbage to balance the meltingly fatty and deep lusciousness of a carefully braised belly.

Braising has been an absolute revelation for all at Chez K. The low temperatures make luscious plates of even the most unpromising of cuts. The cockerels we dispatched in the earlier part of the year, older than ideal, and entirely free range, were tough when roasted, but responded fantastically to our Moroccan tagine (A Moroccan braise, essentially) and French style Pot au Feu preparations. The meats and fat becomes meltingly soft, the braising liquid ensures a juicy juicy dish, and the inclusion of aromatics, herbs and spices penetrates deep into the flesh of the dish, as it bubbles away unattended in your oven or on your stovetop.

Any leftover cooking fluid can form the basis of a fantastic soup....particularly looking forward to tomorrows dark and umami laden leftovers. Noodles I'm thinking. Slivers of pork. Coriander....

Todays treats

Asian style braised pork belly

500g of pork belly - boned or not 9the stickily delicious meat between the bones is delicious, but boned works out cheaper...)

Stock ( Veg or chicken is good) or water if you have no stock. I found 1.25l was more than ample.

Honey, 2 tbsp

2 cinnamon sticks

Sweet Indonesian soy sauce (specifically, I used Katjap Manis), I used about 3 tablespoons - the dish could take more

Demerara sugar - 1 tablespoon

Star Anise - I used 1 pod (or Chinese Five Spice, 1 teaspoon)

Black pepper and salt to taste

2 bay leaves

1 or two birds eyes chillies, crushed

1 tsp hot chilli powder

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

The spice mix is entirely malleable. Smoked paprika, sweet chilli sauce, light and dark soy sauce, more anise, ginger, and works with a variety of meats. Applied without stock to chicken wings, and left to marinate before braising, it's wonderful....my first encounter with it was at the hands of a lecherous male chef in a Chinese Restaurant with a thing for slim boys......

Cut your pork belly into the portion sizes you prefer - generally, recipes call for roughly1.5 or 2cm thick slices. I simply cut my piece in three.

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot (the stock/water should just cover the pork belly).

Bring the pot just about to the boil, then lower, cover and simmer for at least an hour and a half. It's of the utmost importance to simmer, as too hot a boil and the meat may be far too tough. And make sure the dish is covered. Essential to the braising techinique is that most of the moisture is retained

The pork was utterly succulent, and deeply flavoured with the broth, which soaked wonderfully into both meat and rice. A long braise - up to 3 hours - will give meat that is falling apart on the fork, and melts deliciously in the mouth.....It really is a restaurant quality dish, especially when paired with the cabbage below....

With a fatty pork dish something acidic on the side really underpins the flavour and gives it a completely moreish feel. Vinaigrette, sauce gribiche, caper based sauces, all are classic and acidic pork accompaniements. This braised cabbage dish below is both sweet and acidic, and the cooking apple gives a nice lifting tartness, which feels like it opens up the tastes buds to fully appreciate the meat. It even worked for the gorgeous C (sadly lacking in the love of pork.....) served on the side with some baked bass.

Sweet and sour braised cabbage

1 Head of Chinese Cabbage

1 Cooking Apple, peeled, and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons of cider Vinegar

a Tablespoon of white sugar

As much butter as you need (I need a lot, 50g would be fine)

1 onion quartered, and sliced thinly lengthways

Salt and pepper to taste

Gently fry the apple and onion in butter for 5 minutes.

Add everything else, and mix thoroughly - the pot will be full with leaves, but they will reduce. Braise for at least an hour - longer if you can, on the stovetop on a low heat. Stir occasionally.

Also on the side, roast shallots with balsamic vinegar and rosemary....... (gas mark one for three hours, slathered in oil, rosemary salt an pepper, then balsamic dribbled on for the last hour, shale occasionally to prevent drying)