Wirral Life May 2017 | Page 28

THE BUTCHERS CUT BY STEPHEN MUFF Stephen Muff of Muff’s of Bromborough shares with us his delicious slow cooked pork recipe. Show Stopping Chinese Belly Pork with Crackling Ingredients Whole belly pork. Ask the butcher to remove and score the skin and saw through the middle of the bones to make it easier to carve. 2tbsp light soy 1tbsp dark soy 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine 1 tsp chilli paste 2 tsp Chinese five spice 2 star anise 3 tsp sugar 2 tsp salt For the sauce Bunch spring onion Knob of ginger 4 clove garlic 2tbsp sugar 2tbsp yellow bean sauce/paste 2tbsp hoisin 2tbsp oyster sauce 2tbsp chilli paste 2tbsp Shaoxing wine 1tbsp sesame oil 2tbsp honey Method • Take the skinless belly and score the fat deeply in a criss cross pattern and place on a large baking tray. Place the scored pig skin on a seperate tray. • In a pestle and mortar, grind star anise then combine all the ingredients to make a paste. • Rub in the paste all over the belly getting into all the cuts. • Season the pig skin with salt. • In a preheated oven at 180 o C place both trays in for 15 minutes. Then take the belly out and cover with foil. Reduce temperature to 160 0 C and put back in. Depending on how dry the crackling is, it should take a further 30 – 40 minutes. The belly pork will take a further 1hour 30min. • When finished remove and let it cool. The Sauce • Stir fry the ginger garlic and spring onion in some oil. Flambé the wine. Then add all other ingredients and simmer for a couple of minutes while stirring. To Finish • Slice through the ribs on the belly and either pan fry/BBQ for a minute each side and liberally brush with the sauce. Arrange on a platter and break up the crackling and scatter around. Garnish with spring onion. 30 28 wirrallife.com wirrallife.com