Crispy slow-cooked pork belly with pumpkin mash and black sesame

Name: Crispy slow-cooked pork belly with pumpkin mash and black sesame
Total time: 4 h
Ingredients: 800g of pork belly; 2 onions, quartered; 2 lemons, juice and peel (with white pith removed); 4 garlic cloves, minced; hot pepper sauce, to taste; coarse sea salt, a large pinch; pepper; 10g of bonito flakes, (katsuobushi); kombu, a sheet around the size of a postcard; 1l water, filtered if possible; 900g of pumpkin, skin-on (or use sweet potato); 1 tbsp of butter; 100ml of milk; nutmeg; salt; pepper; 2 tbsp of honey; 1 tsp seven spice powder, preferably S&B; 1 knob of ginger, thumb-sized, finely minced; 1 tsp black sesame seeds; 1 dried chilli, medium; 1 tbsp of ponzu; 1 tbsp of sesame oil; salt; black sesame seeds; spring onions, julienned; 1 red chilli, finely sliced

by Rosana McPhee

Item 1 of 1

Main
easy
4
4 hours

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Dive into Rosana's sublimely crispy slow-cooked pork belly recipe, braised in a dashi stock made from kombu and bonito for an extra umami depth of flavour. Served with a sweet, nutmeg-spiced pumpkin mash, this is a beautifully warming twist on a Sunday roast. To save time, you can use a good-quality instant bonito dashi stock for this recipe.

First published in 2016

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Dashi is usually used in Japanese dishes like miso soup, noodle soup, and tempura dipping sauce. However, with a bit of imagination, it can be used in Western recipes, much as you would use any other stock in your cooking.

Generally speaking, the use of dashi to steam meat and keep it succulent is not very common, but it's an excellent way to add fragrance and depth of flavour to meat, as is the case with this dish. The liquid from the roast can then be used to make a sauce or gravy as you would when making a roast dinner.

In this recipe, the classic dashi made from kombu and bonito flakes enhances the dish and gives the meat and pumpkin mash a beautifully intense flavour. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Pork belly

800g of pork belly
2 onions, quartered
2 lemons, juice and peel (with white pith removed)
4 garlic cloves, minced
hot pepper sauce, to taste
coarse sea salt, a large pinch
pepper

Classic dashi

10g of bonito flakes, (katsuobushi)
kombu, a sheet around the size of a postcard
1l water, filtered if possible

Pumpkin mash

900g of pumpkin, skin-on (or use sweet potato)
1 tbsp of butter
100ml of milk
nutmeg
salt
pepper

For the gravy

2 tbsp of honey
1 tsp seven spice powder, preferably S&B
1 knob of ginger, thumb-sized, finely minced
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 dried chilli, medium
1 tbsp of ponzu
1 tbsp of sesame oil
salt

To serve

black sesame seeds
spring onions, julienned
1 red chilli, finely sliced

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Method

The night before serving, prick the fat of the pork belly with a knife to create many holes. Add the lemon juice and peel, pepper sauce and minced garlic to a bowl and mix well

Spread the mixture all over the meat and finally sprinkle the coarse salt on the skin only. Leave covered overnight in the fridge

Now make the dashi. Wipe the kombu down with a slightly damp cloth to remove any impurities and residues from the surface, but keep the white film as it gives the umami flavour to the liquid

Add the kombu to the cold water in a medium pan and leave immersed for about 20–30 minutes

After this time, turn on the heat and allow the water to boil very gently. Just before the water boils, remove the kombu (if you leave it in the stock will turn slimy and bitter). Now add the bonito flakes to the hot liquid

Simmer for 5 minutes then switch off the heat

Remove the bonito flakes from the pan and strain through a very fine sieve into a clean container. The stock is now ready to use and should be completely clear

When ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2 for 30 minutes

Place the meat in a clean ovenproof tray on top of the onions and add 425ml of the dashi. Bake on low temperature for 3 hours, occasionally checking there's enough dashi to keep the meat succulent

About 2 hours or so into cooking, place the pumpkin or sweet potato in a lined ovenproof tray (with the skin left on), add a little oil, season with salt and pepper, and place in the oven with the meat for about 50 minutes, or until pumpkin or sweet potato is golden and tender

Remove any skin and using a potato masher or a fork, thoroughly mash the flesh until smooth and fluffy. Add the butter, milk, and 50ml of dashi, mixing until smooth (add a little more dashi if needed)

Sprinkle in a little nutmeg, mix well and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm while the meat finishes cooking

When the pork has been cooking for 3 hours, raise the heat of the oven to the maximum to make the fat crispy. It's ready when the skin puffs and is super crispy and golden. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before slicing

While the meat is resting, make the gravy. Add all of the ingredients to a pan, along with the pan juices from the pork and a little more dashi if needed. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes, until reduced

To serve, place the mash onto a large serving platter and slice the pork belly. Place the pork on top of the mash and garnish with spring onions, black sesame, and a few sliced red chillies. Serve the gravy on the side

First published in 2016

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Rosana McPhee

Brazilian food and travel blogger, living in London.

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