Neil Perry's spicy pork with green mango salad
This super-fresh salad is perfect for a summer's day - and the marinade goes beautifully with everything from barbecued seafood to barbecued chook.
Ingredients
600g pork neck, cut into 4cm x 2cm strips
For the marinade
½ tsp white peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp coriander roots, finely chopped
pinch sea salt
2 tbsp palm sugar, grated finely
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp oyster sauce
For the mango salad
½ bunch snake beans, cut into 3cm lengths
¼ cup roasted peanuts
2 tbsp dried shrimp
120g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 long red chillies, chopped
2 tbsp palm sugar, grated
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice
2 scud chillies, finely chopped
2 green mangoes, cheeks removed and flesh julienned​
2 small eschalots, thinly sliced
½ cup coriander sprigs
Method
For the marinade, use a mortar and pestle to pound the peppercorns. When roughly ground, add garlic, coriander and salt and pound into a fine paste. Place this in a bowl with the palm sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Add the pork pieces, coat well, cover with cling film and put in the refrigerator to marinate for two hours.
Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan-forced).
Place the pork in a roasting pan, making sure there is space between each piece. Cook in oven for 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
For the salad, blanch the snake beans in boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes. Refresh in iced water, then drain well.
Use a mortar and pestle to crush the peanuts, then place them in a large mixing bowl. Pound the shrimp, then add them to the bowl. Pound the snake beans very lightly, then add to the bowl along with the tomato.
For the dressing, use a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic, then add the red chilli. Pound together, then add palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and scud chilli. Mix together until thoroughly combined and sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Add the dressing to the mixing bowl along with the green mango and eschalot. Mix thoroughly and divide between 4 plates, and top with the roasted pork and coriander sprigs.
Tip:You can use green pawpaw instead of mango if you wish, and the marinade is also great with prawns and other seafood cooked on a barbecue. You could even use a bought barbecue chicken: what could be easier?
Add texture by roasting a couple of tablespoons of jasmine rice in a pan until toasty and golden. Pound the rice into a rough powder and sprinkle it over the pork just before serving.
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Neil Perry is a restaurateur, chef and former Good Weekend columnist.
