Salt and Pepper Pork Belly
Salt and Pepper Pork Belly
My well loved wok is the cheapest I could find at the Asian stall in the local market and it’s now older than my adult kids. After carefully seasoning that carbon steel wok, I began my foray into Chinese cookery. Because an electric cooktop is not ideal for getting a wok red hot my earliest stir fried dishes were in reality, braised.
I moved up to gas cooking when I shifted house, but it wasn’t until after a major kitchen renovation just a few years back that my cheap wok, now shiny and black from use, felt real heat.
Finally I’ve been able to get tasty charred edges to the ingredients I stir fry, giving the food a typical gentle smoky flavour. It’s taken a few attempts to get a balance right with this salt and paper pork belly, but the messing around has been well worth the effort.
This is our new favourite no fuss dinner. Teamed with a oyster sauce seasoned Asian braise of wombok, bok choy, and gai lan and some rice vermicelli seasoned with garlic oil, it’s warm, mouth tingling, savoury and delicious.
Despite it’s fattiness, pork belly has a tendency to be tough when cooked quickly over a high heat. Kiwi fruit and has a natural enzyme buried within that magically softens meat fibres so after a few hours of marinating in the pureed kiwi fruit you are guaranteed juicy tender pork.
Buying a cheap wok has proved to be a blessing in disguise.
500g of boneless pork belly
1 kiwi fruit
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 long red chilli, sliced
3 spring onions, green part only
1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
1 teaspoon crushed szechuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
Cut the pork belly into pieces 1x3cm. Peel the kiwi fruit and blitz to a puree. Toss the pork in the kiwi fruit puree and chill for at least 4 hours. Drain and rinse the pork and pat it dry with paper towels.
Toss the pork in a little peanut oil.
Heat a wok, then toast the szechuan peppercorns. Crush the black and szechuan peppercorns , then add the salt flakes.
Reheat the wok, add the garlic oil then stir fry the pork in small batches until well browned and cooked through. Set each batch aside in a colander to drain off the fat.
Pour any residual fat from the wok, add the sesame oil, then sauté the chilli and spring onion until fragrant.
Return the pork belly to the pan, sprinkle over the salt and peppers, toss well to combine.
Serve garnished with extra spring onion greens.
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28 comments on “Salt and Pepper Pork Belly”
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Please Pass the Recipe by Sandra Gay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
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Wow this is great- well written and making my mouth water! xx
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Thanks Nicole, it’s a drool worthy recipe!
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This looks so good, hearty and mouthwatering! I wish you was my neighbour! 😀
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It tastes much better that it looks! Wouldn’t it be fun to have a fellow food blogger as a neighbour.😃
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I don’t use my wok enough but how brilliant is it that your trusty wok has stood the test of time. Great tip about the kiwi fruit – heard about it for tenderising calamari but not pork before.
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I figured that the enzyme action would work on any protein. The first time I cooked the pork belly in the wok it was tough but the flavour made it worth persisting. The kiwi worked a treat. You do need to rinse it off thoroughly though as remnant pieces have the tendency to quickly burn. I think my wok has reached heirloom status, thirty plus years of use and it’s black shiny surface is like teflon.
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Perfect!
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Thanks Michelle, it really gives your palate a fine buzz
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Nearly missed this post – and I’m glad I didn’t. Really interested in that tip that kiwi tenderises meat. I love pork belly and usually slow cook it, but with this marinade, it looks like it can be cooked quickly. No need to plan that far ahead. Really lovely flavours you have going in this recipe. I’ve got one of those “black” woks, too, so may try this next time I get my hands on pork belly.
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Yes kiwi fruit is a great tenderiser as is green mango and papaya. We just love this quick pork dish, and the mix of salt and peppers really makes the flavour pop.
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Some very interesting things here Sandra. What a great tip using kiwi fruit as a tenderizer. Also love how you used three types of oil. Just the other day I was thinking how I really need to get a wok. This is a fantastic recipe and your sides sound equally wonderful.
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Thanks Seana, it’s become a favourite. I use my wok at lease three times a week and have done for many years. Quick stir fried vegetables have saved the exhausted cook countless times. A cheap carbon steel wok really is best. It gets super hot, and with use, it develops a natural non stick surface.
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Thank you so much for the tip! I’ll look for a carbon steel one. 🙂
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Oh, my! May I come and eat at your house?? 🙂
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You’d be most welcome Stacey, there’s always room at our table for one more
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I’m drooling on my keyboard. That is how much your recipe has made me miss pork.
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Oooo sorry……
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This looks delicious… I can’t wait to try it!
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It is delicious Elizabeth, I’d love feedback if you do try the salt and pepper pork belly.
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Of course!!!
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Cheap carbon steel woks are the best, especially after many years of seasoning. Modern ones, non stick varieties, or even worse, stainless steel, don’t get hot enough. While I don’t eat meat ( as you know) I am happy to cook it for the invaders and this looks great.
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What an inspired idea Mrs Recipe! I know the theory of kiwi as a tenderiser but have never actually done it. Will have to make it for my wee lads. (But dial down the pepper for the ‘hot and spicy intolerant one’). This made my mouth water.
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Kiwi fruit works like magic on potentially tough protein. The kids would love this. Set some aside for the boys, then add a full hit of pepper for yourself and the Yak. It’s seriously good!
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This looks so good!!
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It is Gab we love it!
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Yum! Fraser swears by Kiwi for tenderising calamari but I never thought to use it on pork belly. Might have to give this recipe a try 🙂 x
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I think you may have eaten some at brunch in Sept. It’s delicious….xxxx
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