Soy-braised pork belly 

”This simple yet punchy dish, using what I believe to be the best part of the piggy, requires little effort to deliver big results. It’s also delicious crisped up in a pan or served cold and thinly sliced in a salad.” – Matt Tebutt

Soy-braised pork belly 

Or, opt for more classic flavours with this slow-roast pork belly with sherry gravy and mint relish. 

  • Serves icon Serves 4-6
  • Time icon Hands-on time 25 min, simmering time 2½-3 hours, plus 6-12 hours marinating and cooling

”This simple yet punchy dish, using what I believe to be the best part of the piggy, requires little effort to deliver big results. It’s also delicious crisped up in a pan or served cold and thinly sliced in a salad.” – Matt Tebutt

Or, opt for more classic flavours with this slow-roast pork belly with sherry gravy and mint relish. 

Nutrition: For 6

Calories
644kcals
Fat
38.3g (13.5g saturated)
Protein
53g
Carbohydrates
14.5g (11.2g sugars)
Fibre
3.1g
Salt
4.7g

Ingredients

  • 1-1.5kg British free-range, bone-in pork belly

For the marinade

  • 5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 small hot red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar (see Know-how)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • Glug sunflower oil

For the stock

  • 250ml soy sauce
  • Juice 1 orange
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 200ml dry sherry
  • 1 spring cabbage or ½ savoy cabbage, shredded
  • 4 pak choi, shredded
  • 20-30g butter to taste

To serve

  • Rice of your choice, sliced spring onions and English mustard
Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. Put all the marinade ingredients, except the oil, in a pestle and mortar and crush to a paste. Add oil to loosen the mixture, then massage it into the meat. Cover and chill for 6-12 hours.
  2. Put the soy sauce, orange juice, spices and sherry in a large saucepan or casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Stir in 1.75 litres cold water, then bring up to a simmer. Remove the meat from the marinade and lower into the stock. Simmer gently, covered, for 2½-3 hours until the meat is tender and the bones slide out easily. Set aside to cool with the meat still in its stock. Skim off any fat that rises to the top (see tip).
  3. Transfer the meat to a chopping board (keep the stock but discard the flavourings). Cut the pork into 5cm cubes (discard the bones) and return to the pan – see Make Ahead.
  4. Put the stock pan back on the heat and bring back up to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to reheat the pork, then lift out the meat, set aside on a board and keep warm under foil. Add the cabbage and pak choi to the stock and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. Remove the pan from the heat, then swirl in butter to taste.
  5. Divide the veg among 4 bowls, add a ladleful of stock to each, then top with pieces of the pork. Serve with steamed or fried rice, garnished with sliced spring onions, with English mustard on the side.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
644kcals
Fat
38.3g (13.5g saturated)
Protein
53g
Carbohydrates
14.5g (11.2g sugars)
Fibre
3.1g
Salt
4.7g

delicious. tips

  1. Spoon off as much fat as possible as the meat cooks. If making ahead, discard most of the solidified fat on the surface before completing the recipe.

  2. Complete the recipe up to the end of step 3 up to 2 days ahead. Cover the cooled stock and pork cubes and chill until ready to finish the recipe.

  3. Palm sugar is made from the boiled-down sap of the coconut palm. If you can’t find it in the supermarket, use the same quantity of demerara sugar.

  4. Chilled Australian riesling, juicy and lime-soused, is spot on.

Buy ingredients online

Subscribe

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Rate & review

Rate

Reviews

Share a tip

Or, how about...?

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Barbecue

Slow-cooked barbecue pork belly

Our slow-cooked pork belly is a real barbecue showstopper; combining...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Satisfyingly slow roasts

Five-hour roast pork belly with roast potatoes and salsa verde

John Torode’s signature five-hour pork belly recipe is well worth...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Casseroles

Pork belly with chorizo, shallot and bean stew

If you’re after a roast that won’t break the bank...

Subscribe to our magazine

Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.

Subscribe

Unleash your inner chef

Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter

We treat your data with care. See our privacy policy. By signing up, you are agreeing to delicious.’ terms and conditions. Unsubscribe at any time.