Pork belly and szechuan salt and pepper

Name: Pork belly and szechuan salt and pepper
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 800g pork belly, skin scored; 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced; 1 knob ginger, peeled and sliced; 150ml soy sauce; 100ml shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry; 2 brown onions; 2tbsp szechuan pepper; 1tbsp sea salt; 1 lemon, cut into quarters

Jeremy and Jane Strode

October 19, 2011

Pork belly and szechuan salt and pepperJennifer Soo

Time:1-2 hoursServes:4

Szechuan pepper belongs to the prickly ash family and is unrelated to black pepper. The ground husks of the szechuan berry make a pungent, almost citrus-smelling spice. This pepper also goes well with chicken and duck.

Ingredients

800g pork belly, skin scored
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 knob ginger, peeled and sliced
150ml soy sauce
100ml shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 brown onions
2tbsp szechuan pepper
1tbsp sea salt
1 lemon, cut into quarters

Method

Place the pork, garlic, ginger, soy and wine in a bowl, cover and place in fridge to marinate for about six hours or overnight. If possible, turn the pork over a few times.
Preheat oven to 200C.
Cut the unpeeled onions in half and place on a baking tray skin side up. Place pork on top skin side up and bake in the oven for an hour or until cooked through and a deep golden brown. Rest 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, dry-fry or place the szechuan pepper in the oven for two minutes to release its heady aroma and flavour.
Then grind to a fine powder with the sea salt in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Place in a dish. Serve slices of pork with lemon and szechuan salt and pepper.

The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.