- 800g/1lb 12oz pork belly
- 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised
- 80g/3oz galangal, grated
- 4 bird’s-eye chillies
- 1 orange, zest only
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 5 garlic cloves
- small bunch fresh coriander, stalks only
- rapeseed oil, to cover the pork
- bones from the pork belly (ask your butcher for these)
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 80g/3oz galangal, chopped
- 4 bird’s-eye chillies
- ½ onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- small bunch fresh coriander, stalks only
- 300ml/10fl oz shaoxing wine
- knob of butter
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 300ml/10fl oz coconut milk
- 250g/9oz jasmine rice
- pinch salt
- 200g/7oz caster sugar
- 4 dried bird’s-eye chillies or 40g/1½oz chilli flakes
- 1 sharp green apple, such as Granny Smith, grated
- 250g/9oz mangetout, chopped
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- few leaves savoy cabbage or similar greens, shredded
- 1 lime, juice only
- splash rapeseed oil
- pinch white sugar
- Preheat the oven to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1. Put all the pork belly ingredients, except the oil, in an ovenproof dish, then pour in enough oil to fully cover the meat. Cover the dish with foil and cook for 1½–2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. When the pork is ready, a small knife should slip easily into the meat like it would with butter.
- Leave to cool. Wrap the meat tightly in cling film and press under a heavy weight. Leave in the fridge for at least 2–3 hours, or longer if possible. Remove from the fridge and cut into serving-size portions.
- For the gravy, put all the ingredients, apart from the butter, in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. Strain 200ml/7fl oz of the liquid into a clean, shallow pan and cook until it reduces to a gravy consistency. Stir in a big knob of butter to finish. Season with salt and pepper.
- For the coconut rice, combine all the ingredients in a lidded saucepan with 100ml/3½fl oz water. Cover and steam on a very low heat until all the liquid is absorbed (for the best results do not stir the rice).
- For the chilli sugar, blend the sugar and chilli in a food processor. Pass through a sieve to remove any larger pieces of chilli (this is important as it burns very easily at the torching stage in step seven).
- For the slaw, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- When you are ready to serve, finish the pork. Heat a heavy skillet or griddle then place the pork fat-side down in the pan. Leave for a couple of minutes without moving it, then turn over and cook the underside. Place on a board and sprinkle with the chilli sugar. Use a chef’s blowtorch to melt the sugar and caramelise lightly. Leave to cool for a few seconds.
- Serve the pork on the board with the gravy alongside in a jug. Divide the slaw and rice between serving plates.