(serves 3-4)
So this dish is inspired by the "Pork Belly Peking-Duck style" dish at Sushi Samurai, which is the one dish that keeps going back again and again. It's essentially an extremely juicily messy melt-in-your-mouth pork belly wrapped with shallots and mustard... there is no lady-like way to eat this but it is good enough that you just don't care! I made a few alterations to it to add a bit of crunch with bean sprouts...took the braised pork belly off a traditional Chinese dish - Dong po rou (東坡肉)... the Peking (or Mandarin) Pancakes were a challenge to perfect though! Luckily i had my new dessert/dough perfectionist to help me with the dough, very handy!
Cooking time: 1.5 - 2hrs
Ingredients:
Braised Pork Belly
1 lb pork belly
1T oil
5 stalks green shallots
1-inch peeled ginger
2 T soy sauce
2 T dark soy sauce
3 1/2 T Shaoxing Wine
water, enough to cover the pork belly
2 1/2 T brown sugar, extra sugar, as per taste
150-200g beansprouts, for wrapping
Dijon Mustard
5 stalks green shallots
1-inch peeled ginger
2 T soy sauce
2 T dark soy sauce
3 1/2 T Shaoxing Wine
water, enough to cover the pork belly
2 1/2 T brown sugar, extra sugar, as per taste
150-200g beansprouts, for wrapping
Dijon Mustard
Pancakes
1 1/2 C (220g) plain flour
180 mL warm water
pinch salt
1 tsp vegetable oil
Method:
1. Heat a large pot with boiling water and boil the pork belly for 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water to remove the oil, then pat dry.
1 1/2 C (220g) plain flour
180 mL warm water
pinch salt
1 tsp vegetable oil
Method:
1. Heat a large pot with boiling water and boil the pork belly for 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water to remove the oil, then pat dry.
2. Cut the shallots and ginger into thin slices.
3. Heat a deep saucepan on medium heat with 1 T oil, then add half the green shallots and all the ginger in and fry for 30sec, or until the aroma is released.
4. Add in the soy, dark soy and Shaoxing wine, brown sugar and water and bring to the boil.
5. Meanwhile, cut the pork belly into 5cm x 5cm squares and tie together with food string (if available).
4. Add in the soy, dark soy and Shaoxing wine, brown sugar and water and bring to the boil.
5. Meanwhile, cut the pork belly into 5cm x 5cm squares and tie together with food string (if available).
NB. This makes it look like cute little parcels and also prevents it from falling apart.
6. Cook the pork skin side down first for 30 minutes in the sauce, then turn it over skin side up and cook for another 1.5 - 2hrs, until the meat is as soft as you like it.
For the pancakes (takes approx 1hr):
7. Combine the flour and the warm water until just combined, then roughly knead for 2-3 minutes. Let it rest covered by a damp cloth for 30min.
NB. This is supposed to help the gluten relax and helps to make a chewier and softer pancake!
8. After 30min, knead the dough on a floured surface until soft and it bounces back slightly. Roll out into a log (approx 4-5cm in diameter), then cut into pieces that are approx 1cm thick (approx 12-14).
9. Then comes the fun part! Roll the pieces into circles and squash gently into flat discs. Match them up into pairs.
10. Generously brush one disc with sesame oil, then squash the other one on top. This will help to split them later and also gives them a delicious sesame aroma!
11. Use a rolling pin to roll the two discs together into a flat 10-15cm circle, approx 0.5mm thick. Play around with the thickness and work out what works best! Repeat with the rest of them (or you can fry as you go).
12. Heat a pan on low-medium heat and dry pan-fry the pancakes one at a time until just firm on one side (3-5min). It should start to have a few air bubbles in the middle which will help to split them! Flip over and cook for another 1-2min.
NB. The heat of the pan is where the trick is i think to make sure the pancakes stay soft rather than crunchy!
It should split slightly at one pt, so you can pry it open and split them in half! Be careful of the steam inside!
13. If you're not eating them straight away, you may want to heat up a small stack at a time in the microwave when you're ready to eat. Cover them with a damp towel or paper towel to keep them moist and chewy.
To assemble the pancakes:
14. Cut the pork belly into thin strips.
15. Place a small handful of bean sprouts, shallots, a squeeze of Dijon and a few slivers of pork belly into the warm pancake, then wrap and bite!
Disclaimer: This is a very messy meal, do not eat with people you are trying to impress with your table etiquette!
6. Cook the pork skin side down first for 30 minutes in the sauce, then turn it over skin side up and cook for another 1.5 - 2hrs, until the meat is as soft as you like it.
7. Combine the flour and the warm water until just combined, then roughly knead for 2-3 minutes. Let it rest covered by a damp cloth for 30min.
NB. This is supposed to help the gluten relax and helps to make a chewier and softer pancake!
8. After 30min, knead the dough on a floured surface until soft and it bounces back slightly. Roll out into a log (approx 4-5cm in diameter), then cut into pieces that are approx 1cm thick (approx 12-14).
9. Then comes the fun part! Roll the pieces into circles and squash gently into flat discs. Match them up into pairs.
10. Generously brush one disc with sesame oil, then squash the other one on top. This will help to split them later and also gives them a delicious sesame aroma!
11. Use a rolling pin to roll the two discs together into a flat 10-15cm circle, approx 0.5mm thick. Play around with the thickness and work out what works best! Repeat with the rest of them (or you can fry as you go).
NB. The heat of the pan is where the trick is i think to make sure the pancakes stay soft rather than crunchy!
13. If you're not eating them straight away, you may want to heat up a small stack at a time in the microwave when you're ready to eat. Cover them with a damp towel or paper towel to keep them moist and chewy.
To assemble the pancakes:
14. Cut the pork belly into thin strips.
15. Place a small handful of bean sprouts, shallots, a squeeze of Dijon and a few slivers of pork belly into the warm pancake, then wrap and bite!
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