Felicity Cloake / 12 February 2020
Though for years I lived a stone’s throw from east
London’s clutch of Vietnamese restaurants, I first
came across this dish more recently in the country
itself, specifically in the capital city of Hanoi,
where the cooking tends to be sweeter and milder
than the often fiery flavours popular further
south. Traditionally served as a celebratory dish
during religious festivals, as often with fish as
pork, it’s simple enough to celebrate Friday night
too; the meat cooked down into silky submission, coated with a stickily
sweet, yet deeply savoury sauce with just a hint of pepper spice. Here, I’ve
added extra ginger for its warming properties, because frankly, we can use all
the help we can get during a British February. It’s the kind of dish that pairs
perfectly with a well-chilled riesling, whose acid will cut through the richness
of the meat while the residual sugar keeps it fruity enough to be more than
a match for the sweet warmth of the caramel sauce. As the dish itself is so
full-flavoured, I’d recommend enjoying it with nothing more complicated than
jasmine rice and simply steamed greens like pak choi or sprouting broccoli.
(Note: if you’re not a fan of pork belly, you could substitute shoulder, but I’d urge
you to give it a try; with good meat, the flavour is all in the fat, and by the end of
cooking, this will be as soft as butter. Similarly, you could replace the coconut water
with an equal mix of water and coconut milk, or plain old water if you prefer.)
Caramelised Pork Hot-Pot
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 500g pork belly, skin removed
- 50g root ginger
- 2 plump garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp ground white or black pepper
- 4 round shallots
- 4 tbsp white sugar
- 250ml coconut water
-
Cut the pork into roughly 2cm or bite-sized chunks. Peel the ginger and
grate or mash half of it into a coarse paste along with the garlic. Whisk in
the fish and soy sauces and pepper. Toss together with the pork and leave
at room temperature for between 15 minutes and 1 hour.
-
While it’s marinating, finely slice the shallots and cut the remaining ginger
into short matchsticks. Boil the kettle.
-
Put the sugar in a medium heavy-based casserole or saucepan and place
on a medium heat, shaking to distribute it evenly. Once it’s deep golden
in colour, carefully stir in 100ml boiling water (be careful, it will bubble
up), stirring vigorously to redissolve the sugar, and then add the shallots,
ginger and the pork along with its marinade.
-
Pour in the coconut water and bring to a simmer, then cover, turn down
the heat and cook on a low heat for about 90 minutes until the pork is
very tender. Serve with steamed rice and green vegetables.