TIME FOR PORK BELLY

 Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about

Sweet and sour belly pork

Delicious and satisfying this recipe comes from Hoi Ling, a member of our finance team at River Cottage HQ.

Sweet and sour belly pork

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg boneless pork belly, cut into 5cm chunks
• 5 shallots, roughly chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoon sunflower oil for frying

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons shaoxing rice wine
• 2 tablespoon mirin rice wine
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons dark soy
• 4 tablespoons light soy
• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 400ml water

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a heavy casserole pan and add the shallots. Cook until they are softened and translucent.
2. Heat the rest of the oil in a separate frying pan, brown the meat in batches, when it is done, transfer it to the casserole.
3. Add the ingredients for the sauce to the frying pan, stir gently to melt the sugar and loosen the burnt bits. Pour the liquid over the meat. Bring it to boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and leave to cook until the meat is tender (about 1 ½ - 2 hours). Stir occasionally, and make sure the liquid is not too low.
4. Continue to simmer without the lid for a few minutes to allow the liquid to reduce to a rich consistency.
5. Serve with plain boiled rice and stir-fried broccoli.

and as always have a chilled day from the Viking