Barbecued Hung Shao Pork Belly

The sun was out today for what feels like the first day ever which means only one thing in my household, a barbecue! Now, I do enjoy a good sausage or burger (particularly when in my home-made buns) but I think the barbecue is a rather underestimated cooking method, the smoky flavour it gives to meat cannot be replicated and I personally quite enjoy a bit of charring. I’d picked up a piece of Pork belly yesterday and after a recent bad experience, was determined to make it delicious.

I'm not very easy to take out for meals, I tend to feel rather resentful if I end up eating something I could have cooked better myself (and for half the price) and I’m perhaps just a little picky about the way food is on my plate. This was rather apparent when I was out for lunch recently in the New Forest. I saw pork belly on the menu and decided to give myself a treat. Well, this wasn’t the best of my ideas. It can’t have been slowly cooked because there was more fat on my plate than meat (and don’t get me started on the rather disgusting looking apple sauce smeared all over it). Please don’t get me wrong, I am well aware that pork belly is a very fatty meat, but when cooked well that fat just melts away and leaves the meat juicy and succulent with a crispy crackling.  This was my aim today, and I must say, the barbecue didn't disappoint. Marinated for hours then cooked in the oven on low before finishing off on the barbecue, this meat was mouth-wateringly tender and went down an absolute treat.

Ingredients

800g-1kg pork belly, skin scored

8 tablespoons dark soy sauce

8 tablespoons shaosang rice wine

4 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 sticks of cinnamon

2 star anise

Mix all the marinade ingredients together except the honey. I use my dad's honey (he's a bee keeper) and as its from last year it has now set, so I put it in the microwave for about 20 seconds on low to get it a bit runnier. Put pork in a baking tray skin side up (the skin should be scored, your butcher should be happy to do this otherwise score into the fat without going through to the meat) and pour over boiling hot water (apparently this makes the cracking crispier).  Pour over marinade and then the honey, making sure it really goes into the holes in the fat. Leave for at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.

After marinating, put the pork in the oven on 60 for at least 2 hours (3 is even better). Light up the barbecue and once it all the coals have turned white and it has been going for a while (so the heat isn’t so intense) put the pork on the barbecue. Turn every 5-10 minutes, basting with the marinade each time for about 30 minutes until the crackling has gone crispy. Don’t worry too much if it flames a bit as the blackened bits are delicious, but if it does flame too much move away from direct heat.

Cut into chunks and serve with fresh (or even better, homemade) bread and a fresh green salad.