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Marinated belly pork “sous vide”

“Sous-vide”-cooking is a method used to cook food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for longer than normal cooking times, sometimes as long as 72 hours, at a regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking. The intention is to cook the item (mostly tough cuts of meat) evenly, preventing the food from overcooking whilst keeping it juicy, succulent and tender.

PORK BELLY

For the pork:
1 kg/2 lb pork belly, without bone
300 ml pork stock
2 tablespoons/30 ml vegetable oil

The marinade:
1 stalk lemongrass, hard outside removed, the core finely chopped
1 teaspoon/5 ml white pepper, freshly ground
2 teaspoons/10 ml Chinese five-spice powder (mix your own)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons/10 ml fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Kosher salt
1-2 red chilies, seeds removed, finely chopped

  • For the marinade, mix the lemongrass, spices, garlic, ginger, salt and red chilies together in a small bowl, then rub the marinade into the pork belly all round.  Cover with cling film and marinate for at least two hours, or up to 12 hours, in the fridge.
  • Preheat the oven to 100ºC/212ºF.
  • Place the marinated pork in a food grade plastic bag and pour in the stock.
  • Seal the bag in the vacuum packing machine.
  • Meanwhile heat water in the ovenproof  basking dish to the same temperature as you have set the oven.
  • Carefully lower the sealed bag into the hot water and make sure the bag is totally covered with the water.
A good idea is to put a circle of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the middle, on top of the meat before you secure the lid on.
  • Place the baking dish in the oven and set your timer for 3 hours.
  • When the cooking time is up, carefully remove the bag from the hot water with tongs and place in a deep dish.
  • Cut the bag open and let the meat and juices slide out of the bag into the dish.
  • Pour out the sauce in a saucepan.
  • Press the meat between two baking trays with a weight on top to flatten the skin and place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
  • Just before serving set the oven to grill and place the pork belly, skin side up, about 30 cm/12 in from the grill.
Keep an eye on the skin as it can burn in an instant.
The sauce will have all the flavors of the marinade as well as the meat. 

 

STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

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