Sticky Vietnamese Pork with Papaya Salad

24 June 2013

There’s nothing quite like a good piece of pork and this sticky Vietnamese pork recipe will have you watering at the mouth!

We’ve also got a tasty papaya salad with a beautiful nahm jhim dressing, perfect for the summer evenings.

Sticky Vietnamese Pork

1kg boneless pork belly

2 cups white sugar

1 cup fish sauce

4 star anise

4 shallots

2 red chillies

4 spring onions

1 4cm piece ginger

Method:

Peel and finely slice the shallots, spring onions, ginger and chilli. Pour the sugar into a large, heavy-based pan and place on a high heat. Melt and caramelise the sugar. Once the sugar is starting to smoke slightly, carefully add the vegetables from the previous step, along with the star anise. Stirring continuously, cook for 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce and 500ml of water. Bring to the boil and add the pork. Simmer for 10 minutes, turn, and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Turn once more and place in a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees C and cook for 1.5 -2 hours, turning every half an hour. The liquid will reduce down to a sticky glaze.

Nahm Jhim

Ingredients:

6 large red chillies

4 coriander roots

2 cloves garlic

6 limes, juiced

Fish sauce

Palm sugar

Method:

Scrape and soak coriander roots. De-seed and finely chop chillies. Peel garlic cloves. Place these three ingredients into a mortar pestle and pound to a fine paste. Add the lime juice. Add fish sauce and shaved pine sugar to desired taste, trying to balance sweet, sour and salty.

Green Papaya Salad

Ingredients:

1 sml green papaya, peeled and sliced

1 medium mango

Chilli to taste

2 cups bean shoots

4 shallots, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup cashew nuts, roasted and chopped

1 cup asian herbs

1 lebanese cucumber, de-seeded and sliced

Method:

Serve the pork as a whole piece in a large dish with plenty of glaze. Mix all salad ingredients with nahm jhim and serve alongside.