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Vietnamese caramel pork with pickled veg recipe

Vietnamese caramel pork with pickled veg recipe

15 ratings

This sticky-sweet Vietnamese pork belly dish is definitely a supper worth celebrating. Poaching the meat for an hour in a mix of fragrant spices before slicing and caramelising in a sticky ginger, shallot and poaching stock sauce, gives it a delicious, melt-in-the-mouth texture – trust us, it's worth the wait. Serve with rice and a sharp salad of pickled veg for the ultimate Vietnamese dinner. See method

  • Serves 6
  • 60 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook, plus cooling
  • 756 calories / serving
  • Dairy-free

Ingredients

  • 800g pork belly (from the meat counter), skin removed
  • 1 cucumber, peeled into ribbons, seeds discarded
  • 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
  • 150ml rice wine vinegar
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 3 shallots, finely chopped
  • 6cm piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 200g light brown soft sugar
  • 2 spring onions, sliced
  • 450g rice, cooked to pack instructions, to serve

For the poaching stock

  • 300ml low-salt soy sauce
  • 200ml shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
  • 4cm piece ginger, sliced
  • 3 large garlic cloves, sliced
  • 3 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
If you don't have any spring onions, try using white onions or leeks and adjust the amount accordingly

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    3190kj
    756kcal     38%

  • Fat

    26g 37%

  • Saturates

    8g 40%

  • Sugars

    46g 51%

  • Salt

    2g 33%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 110.4g Protein 28.1g Fibre 3g

Method

  1. Put the poaching stock ingredients in a large, lidded pan with 1.5ltrs water and bring to the boil. Add the pork, return to the boil, then simmer for 1 hr, partially covered, turning the pork halfway through. Turn off the heat; leave the pork to cool in the stock. Chop into bite-sized cubes and set aside. Strain and reserve the stock.
  2. Meanwhile, put the vegetable ribbons in a large, heatproof bowl. Heat the vinegar, caster sugar and chilli in a pan over a low heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the ribbons and set aside, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 mins; drain.
  3. Heat the oil in a wok over a low heat and fry the shallots and ginger until softened. Add the brown sugar and 300ml poaching stock. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the pork, increase the heat and simmer for 10 mins until glossy and caramelised. Add a little more stock to taste, then add the sriracha (if using). Scatter with the spring onions and serve with the pickled vegetable ribbons and the rice.

See more Pork recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

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