Pork neck is one of my favourite cuts of meat. It is fatty, but not as heavy duty as pork belly. The marbled fat and tendon run along the muscles of the meat, giving it a unique bouncy yet melt-in-the mouth texture, a perfect candidate for barbecuing or slow cooking.
This is a very simple recipe - marinate the pork the night before, and straight onto a griddle pan the next day, then into the oven to finish. I also make a refreshing pomelo and pepper salad to go with it. You can find both pork neck and pomelo in most of the Chinese supermarkets.
Grilled pork neck, pomelo and pepper salad
Serves 2
For the pork
Marinade:
Around 400g Pork neck
1 Red chili, cut into small pieces
1 Clove of garlic, cut into small pieces
Thumb sized ginger root, cut into small pieces
1 tsp Ground coriander seed
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp Mirin (sweetened Japanese cooking wine)
Pinches of ground black pepper
Others:
1tbsp Vegetable oil
A quarter of a lime, juice only
The night before, marinate the pork with all the ingredients. I like a strong gingery flavour, so I am using a whole thumb sized root, but feel free to use half if you find it too strong for your tastes. Rub the dry ingredients in gently, making sure it is fully covered. Leave it overnight, or for at least two hours.
Preheat oven to fan 180C. Use a kitchen towel to coat a griddle pan with oil, and heat it over a high heat. Wait until the pan is smoking hot before putting the pork on it. Do not attempt to move or turn it at this point.
Leave the pork in the pan for around 1.5 minutes, and check that griddle lines have formed. It should become un-stuck from the pan when ready. Rotate 90 degrees, and then leave it to cook for another 1.5 minutes, or until perpendicular griddle marks have formed on the same side. Turn the meat over, and repeat the process for the other side.
When both sides of the pork have been grilled, finish the pork in the oven for around 5 minutes. Leave the pork to rest for a few minutes before serving. Meanwhile, heat up the leftover marinade and the juice from cooking the pork to form a thin sauce.
Cut the pork into thick slices, add a splash of the sauce, and then squeeze some lime juice on top to finish.
For the salad
A medium red bell pepper, deseed and slice thinly
A medium yellow bell pepper, deseed and slice thinly
A small courgette, deseed and slice thinly
Half of a medium sized pomelo, flesh only
3tbsp Rice vinegar (I am using a Japanese one by Mitsukan)
2tbsp Caster sugar
1tbsp Sesame oil
Add a few handfuls of salt into the courgette slices, in order to draw the water out. Leave to drain for around 15 to 20 minutes, then squeeze as much water out as possible. Pat them with kitchen towels to remove excess liquid.
Combine the vinegar, sugar and sesame oil together. Taste the pomelo, add more sugar to the mixture if it is a bit sour. Add the marinade to the courgette and peppers in a bowl, mix well so that all ingredients are covered. Leave them in the fridge for around an hour.
Gently toss in the pomelo to finish. Enjoy!
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