Crispy pork belly bites with miso caramel and chilli sauce
Crispy pork with a spicy, sticky sauce
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
240
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
40
MINUTES
Ingredients
500g belly pork with the skin on
1 tsp fine sea salt
Black pepper
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cornflour or potato starch
For the sauce:Â
60g butter
40g fresh ginger root
1 large red chilli
3 tsp miso paste
3 tbsp dark caramel syrup
2 limes
To serve:
Some toasted sesame seeds
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
Method
The night before you plan to cook this dish place your belly pork strips on a plate or in a tray. Dry them off first with some kitchen towel and then sprinkle over the salt, rubbing it into the skin. Grind some black pepper over the pork and then pop it into the fridge for at least twelve hours, though you can leave it there for up twenty-four hours if you wish. This will help to dry out the pork and give you a beautiful crisp crackling.
When you are ready to cook the pork, use some kitchen towel to remove any liquid from the meaty part of the slices, the skin will be very dry by now. Arrange them on a board or tray. Combine the cornflour and baking soda in a small bowl and then use a sieve to sprinkle it over the pork belly, a little at a time. Turn the pork belly over as you go to make sure you give all of it a good coating. Place the pork belly on the shelves or in the basket of your air fryer, skin side up, and cook it for twenty minutes at 140°C Then increase the heat to 200°C and cook the pork for another fifteen minutes. Now check to make sure the crackling is nice and crispy. If it is not quite there yet, give it another five minutes until it is golden and crisp.
While the pork is cooking, make the sauce. Peel and grate the ginger. Wash and remove the seeds and pith from the red chilli and finely chop it. Melt the butter in a pan over a high heat until it starts to bubble and foam. Reduce the heat to medium and add the grated ginger. Cook that, stirring it all the time for a minute or two and add the chopped chilli. Cook for another two minutes. Add the miso paste and stir that in until it is combined. Now add the caramel syrup and then finally, the juice of two limes. Stir and cook until everything is well combined, and the sauce goes a little thick and syrupy.
Remove the cooked pork slices from the air fryer. Cut them into bite sized pieces and pop them into a large bowl. Pour over the sauce and toss the pork belly bites until they are all evenly coated in sauce. Serve on a warm plate, scattered with some toasted sesame seeds and some thinly sliced fresh red chilli.
