A Vietnamese-inspired salad of orange, apple and mint is the perfect accompaniment for this rich Sweet and Sour Pork Belly. The fresh mint and tart green apples provide the perfect foil for the intoxicating richness of this blood orange and spice-infused pork belly.
Sweet and Sour Pork Belly with Blood Orange and Vietnamese Mint Salad
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 cups blood orange juice
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1½ cups brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
4cm piece ginger, peeled and sliced
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2kg pork belly
jasmine rice, steamed, to serve
Blood Orange And Vietnamese Mint Salad
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 blood oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
½ cup Vietnamese mint leaves
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Place orange juice, vinegar, 2 cups water, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, ginger and garlic in a small high-sided baking dish and stir to combine.
Place pork, skin side down, in the dish and cover with aluminium foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C and roast for 3½ hours.
Turn the pork and roast, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes or until tender.
To make the blood orange and Vietnamese mint salad, place vinegar and sugar in a bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Add shallots and set aside for 20 minutes. Add oranges, apple and mint and toss to combine.
Serve the pork with steamed rice and the blood orange and Vietnamese mint salad.
Smart Tip:
Cinnamon sticks can be reused several times before losing their flavour – simply rinse under hot water then allow to dry
