Korean pork belly bao buns with cucumber kimchi and crispy shallots
Ingredients
for the marinade
120g gochujang paste
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
60g ginger, finely chopped
80ml light soy sauce
60ml rice wine vinegar
2 limes, juice and zest
1 tbsp Korean red pepper flakes
50g honey
for the pork belly
1.5kg Breckland pork belly, rind on, unscored (needs to be even in thickness)
200g table salt
1 tbsp olive oil
for the cucumber kimchi
1 cucumber
1 carrot
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 pak choi, roughly chopped
1 tsp Korean red pepper flakes
1 tbsp gochujang paste
2 tbsps rice wine vinegar
1 small bunch coriander, roughly chopped, stalks included
sea salt & black pepper
for the crispy shallots
3 banana shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings
3 tbsps milk
100g plain flour, seasoned with salt and cracked black pepper
200ml vegetable oil
sea salt
to serve
16 steamed bao buns
1 tsp Korean red pepper flakes
Method
To marinate the pork, mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour into a container that will comfortably hold the belly pork. Pat the pork skin totally dry with kitchen paper. Place the pork on top of the marinade, taking care not to get any of it on the top skin of the belly as this will burn when cooking in the oven. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 24 hours.
To cook the pork, pre-heat your oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Remove the belly from the marinade and sit on top of a wire rack on a deep baking tray. Add 200ml water to the marinade mix, stir together, then pour into the tray under the pork – it shouldn’t touch the bottom of the belly and, again, be careful not to get any on the rind of the pork as it will burn. Spread the table salt evenly on top of the belly skin. Place the tray carefully in the oven on the top shelf for 70 minutes. Remove from the oven, and increase the temperature to 230°C/450°F/gas mark 8. Lift off the crust of salt from the top of the belly and discard.
Line another tray with non-stick greaseproof paper and place the belly on the tray, discarding the liquid from the previous tray. Lightly brush the rind with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. When the oven reaches temperature put the belly back in for 30-35 minutes until golden brown with bubbly crackling. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
To make the kimchi, using a peeler, peel long strips of cucumber until you reach the inside seeded layer of the cucumber, then turn and peel again. Discard the seeded part (or chop up and use in salad). Peel strips of carrot in the same way. Mix all the cucumber kimchi ingredients together, season with a large pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper, cover and refrigerate until needed.
To make the crispy shallots, soak the shallot rings in the milk for 5 minutes. Drain off the milk then toss in seasoned flour to create a coating. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and shallow fry until golden and crispy. Remove onto paper towel to take away any excess oil and sprinkle with a little salt.
To serve, steam the bao buns as instructed on the packet, slice the belly, and serve with a large spoonful of cucumber kimchi and a sprinkling of crispy shallots and Korean red pepper flakes.