Braised pork and kimchi lettuce wraps
Sadly, if you only cook Asian food when the weather is warm, you're missing out. There are plenty of slow-cooked Asian dishes that are as comforting as a mother's hug; think soups, grilled meats and punches of chilli, which make for great cold-weather feasting that won't leave you feeling bloated. These Korean pork and kimchi wraps are another great example of food that's light but big on comfort. Coconut water gives this simple dish a flavour edge.
Ingredients
¼ cup castor sugar
750ml coconut water
¼ cup fish sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp dark rum
¼ cup palm sugar
1 head garlic
1 onion, thickly sliced
1.2kg pork belly, skin and bone removed, cut into 5cm strips
1/2 cup Japanese mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups kimchi
1 head butter lettuce
Method
1. In a large saucepan, heat caster sugar and 2 tbsp of water over medium heat for around 10 minutes, until it forms a dark caramel. Add the coconut water, fish sauce, soy sauce, rum and palm sugar, and stir until the caramel and sugar are dissolved.
2. Add garlic and onion and bring to a simmer.
3. Add the pork belly and enough cold water to cover the pork. Simmer covered for 45 minutes, then uncover, stir and simmer for a further 45 minutes until the pork is tender and the liquid is reduced.
4. Remove pork and slice into 1cm slices. Continue to reduce liquid to a pourable glaze.
5. Pour the glaze over the sliced pork and bring to the table with the remaining ingredients.
To serve, place a piece of pork and a few slices of kimchi in lettuce leaf and top with a little mayonnaise.
Note: Check sauces are gluten-free if required
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Adam Liaw is a cookbook author and food writer, co-host of Good Food Kitchen and former MasterChef winner.
