Thai Tea-Spiced Pork Belly

A little effort reaps the reward of this show-stopping main dish, featuring familiar Thai flavours combined with surprising elements. A vibrant herb salad cuts the richness of braised pork belly infused with Thai tea, plenty of aromatics, and a touch of fish sauce. Served over a disk of crispy rice, seared pork slices are adorned with a drizzle of a surprisingly addictive sweetened condensed milk sauce. Sprinkled with slivers of fried garlic to boot - Thai Tea-Spiced Pork Belly with Condensed Milk Sauce delivers a dish full of prominent flavour and texture.

This recipe is featured as part of the Deliciously Unexpected Trend of our Flavour Forecast 25th Edition.

Ingredients

Procedure

1. For the Thai Tea-Spiced Pork Belly, pat pork dry. Score skin in crosshatch pattern. Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the oil in large Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Place pork belly in pot, one piece at a time. Sear until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pot.
2. Add remaining ingredients to Dutch oven, stirring to mix well. Return pork to pot. Bring to simmer on medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until pork belly is tender and easily pierced with a fork. Remove pork from Dutch oven. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Cut pork into 2-inch square portions. Set aside.
3. Skim fat from surface of braising liquid. Using a slotted spoon, or small mesh strainer, skim liquid to remove star anise, cinnamon stick and peppercorns. Cook braising liquid on medium heat about 10 minutes or until reduced to about 1 cup (250 ml). Remove from heat; keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, for the Sauce, whisk sweetened condensed milk, tahini, sambal paste, garlic paste and ginger paste in small saucepan. Heat on low, whisking frequently, until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Keep warm.
5. For the Crispy Rice Cakes, spread hot cooked rice in bottom of large baking pan or onto half sheet pan. Press firmly to create an even layer. Allow to cool. Cut into 2-inch (5-cm) squares (or 2-inch/5-cm diameter circles). Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Place rice squares in skillet. Toast on both sides until lightly browned. Set aside until ready to assemble.
6. Add remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil (for Pork Belly) to same skillet on medium-high heat. Working in batches, as needed, brown top and bottom of pork belly portions. Remove from skillet and place on paper towel-lined plate to drain.
7. For the Herb Salad, mix lime juice, sugar, fish sauce and garlic paste in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients, tossing to coat well. Set aside until ready to serve.
8. To assemble, spoon Herb Salad onto Crispy Rice Cakes. Dip each portion of seared pork belly in reduced braising liquid, then layer on top of salad. Drizzle with Condensed Milk Sauce. Top with fried garlic and cilantro to serve.