When self love is most needed, turn to claypot pork. Observe as layers upon layers of flavor build up with each passing day. It is hard to get sick of, but when you finally do, turn into a broth or simply layer over some dry noodles, adding some chilli oil/flakes. Eat to your heart’s content with sappy film.
Base ingredients (8 servings)
400g of lean pork, 600g of fatty pork (belly or ribs – I like ribs as the bones give added flavor), 6 garlic cloves, 2 thumbs of ginger, mushrooms, spring onions, 1 tbsp mustard (or wasabi/hot sauce), 1 tbsp black bean paste (or 6 crushed olives), soya sauce.
Optional and/or vegetarian options: Root vegetables such as carrots, radish & tofu.
Method
Time: Prep – 1 hour, Cook – 2 hours (or more if desired)
Marinade pork in 3 tbsp of soya sauce for 1 hour. Thinly slice garlic and ginger. After the hour, sear the pork in a claypot (Le Creuset or a deep pot) with some olive oil at medium heat, being mindful that the meat will stick to the bottom but if you give it time (~2 mins), a layer will form on the surface of the meat and you will be able to move the pork around easily. Set the pork aside in a bowl once golden brown. Using the leftover oil from the pork, fry garlic and ginger until golden brown, then add in pork, including the juices in the bowl – this is all flavor. Mix it all together with the mustard, black bean paste and another 3 tbsp of soya sauce. Add 0.5 cup of water and let simmer for 30 mins at low heat with lid on. Check on it now and again to ensure there’s still sufficient liquid that covers just a quarter of the pork. Preheat oven to 200C.
After 30 mins on the stove, add another 0.5 cup water and place into the oven with claypot lid on at 200C for at least 1 hour. If you don’t have a pot that can be put into the oven, keep the pork on the stove with lid on at low heat, and stir every 20 mins to make sure the pork or sauce hasn’t stuck to the bottom. If the sauce looks too reduced, add abit more water.
Once pork is sufficiently tender to you, take it out of the oven and stir in sliced mushrooms and spring onions at low heat on the stove. Cover with lid for about 1 minute and you’re ready to eat with rice, pasta, noodles, mash.
Note: Always add the faster cooking veggies at the end as otherwise it will become part of the sauce – there is nothing wrong with this, but if you want some texture only do so at the end. Harder veggies like carrots can go in just before placing in the oven.
A plate full of wonder 