Chinese Spiced Pork Belly

(Serves 4 - 6)

Ingredients

• 2 litres water
• 1 deboned thick centre of a pork belly, about 1.5 kg
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 star anise
• 1 tsp fine black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp flaky sea salt

Method

Pour the water into your biggest roasting tray and find a trivet that will keep the pork belly out of the water (it is there to catch the fat and create steam, not poach the pork).

Mix all the spices together except for the salt and grind them as fine as possible in a pestle and mortar: Rub the spice liberally into the pork and place the meat skin side up on the trivet. Cover with foil and place into the oven at 160°C for 2 ½ hours.

Remove the pork from the trivet and tray and place on a roasting tray. Sprinkle with salt and roast at 200°C for 30 - 40 minutes until the skin is crispy. Rest, then carve into slices and serve with steamed greens.

Suggested wines to complement this recipe

Riesling
Mt Beautiful 2007
Framingham Classic 2007
Riverby Estate 2007