Pork belly in soy master stock with ginger and spring onion — a Honey & Co recipe

Without being quite sure how or why, I found myself on the pavement by the butcher’s, baffled to be holding a huge piece of pork. I only went in for a few slices of mortadella and some mince for dinner. It started with the usual innocuous chit-chat, then a more serious talk about what was good in the fridge. My request for mince was countered by a suggestion of pork belly, which is something I am not likely to refuse.

“Will this be OK?” the butcher asked, presenting me with a piece of meat big enough to keep us going all winter. I smiled and said yes, because a good relationship with your butcher is one of the most important things in life.

I called around to see who was free for dinner, and when I got home I pulled a tub from the freezer labelled “Master”. A Chinese master stock — a stock that is reused over and over, building flavour — is perfect for cooking a large hunk of meat. Ours is deeply savoury and slightly sweet, with layers of ginger, orange peel, cinnamon and anise. Chicken cooks magnificently in it, and so does duck. We skim and freeze ours between uses and refresh it with aromatics each time. (We are trained in food safety. If you are not, it’s best not to use it more than twice.)

After two and a half hours, the master had worked its magic on the pork. It had a high-gloss lacquer and an almost jelly-like wobble. We served it with fluffy white rice, steamed greens, a little pot of the master stock and a punchy ginger and spring onion condiment. And we still had enough for a killer fried rice the next day.

Pork belly in soy master stock with ginger and spring onion

Easily feeds up to eight guests but will also keep well for a few days in the fridge 

For the pork belly

For the condiment

1. Place the pork belly skin-side up in a saucepan that fits it snugly. Cover with the rest of the cooking ingredients (including the orange skins) and enough water to just submerge the pork. Slowly bring to a boil on a medium-low heat, then turn down to the lowest setting to simmer. Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.

2. Set a timer for 30 minutes. After half an hour, carefully flip the pork so that the bones are facing up, cover and repeat every 30 minutes for two and a half hours.

3. Remove the belly from the liquid, strain the remaining stock into a jug and serve with the condiment. Slice it thinly against the grain, vertical to the bones.

4. To make the condiment, place the pieces of ginger and spring onion in a pestle and mortar or a small food processor and pound to a coarse paste. Add a pinch of sea salt and serve.

Email Sarit and Itamar at [email protected] and follow them on Instagram @honeyandco

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