Pork belly with fresh shichimi

This innovative Japanese-inspired dish from Adam Liaw serves a simple braised pork belly with a fresh flavour-paste, inspired by nama shichimi (also known as shichimi togarashi or “seven flavour chilli pepper”), combining yuzu kosho, green chilli and aonori (dried sea lettuce).

• serves

  6

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  2 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 kg skinless pork belly
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp chicken stock powder
• 100 g sugar
• 100 ml soy sauce
• ½ cup (125 ml) mirin
• ½ cup (125 ml) sake

For the fresh shichimi (makes extra)

• 1 tsp red yuzu kosho
• 1 large green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, finely zested, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp Korean chilli flakes
• 1 tsp aonori (dried sea lettuce)
• ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds
• ¼ tsp toasted black sesame seeds
• 1 tsp dried green Sichuan peppercorns, coarsely ground
• ¼ tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Place the pork belly in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Stir through the salt, stock powder, sugar, soy sauce, mirin and sake, then simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Remove from the heat, allow to cool, then thickly slice. You can steam or microwave the pork to reheat it or reheat it in the simmering liquid.
2. For the fresh shichimi, in a medium bowl, combine the ingredients and mix well. Serve the braised pork with the fresh shichimi.
   

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.