I didn't come up with this recipe (I lifted it almost verbatim from Neil Perry) so I don't think it deserves to be a serious contender in the contest. The star is obviously the coriander, but the secret ingredients are the peanut oil and the Chinkiang vinegar which act as the dressing. Add to that the unctuous umami bomb of the pork belly countering the leafiness and distinct taste of the coriander, plus the crunchy texture of the nuts and raw onion and this is a perfectly balanced salad. If you haven't got the 'soapy taste' gene I heartily recommend it if you want to try new flavour combinations.
Ingredients
2 days prior:
Ingredients
- 500g pork belly
- Sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice (my addition)
- Half a small red onion chopped
- About 2 cups of plucked coriander leaves, washed thoroughly.
- 1 handful of peanuts crushed (I used salted peanuts - it's fine)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Half spring onion, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
2 days prior:
- Take your pork belly and pierce the skin all over with a fork.
- Rub it on all sides with salt generously and the 5 spice on the underside.
- Leave it uncovered in the fridge to dry out.
- Gather your ingredients.
- 30-40 mins prior to serving, place the pork into an air-fryer skin side up and cook it for 15 minutes at 200c.
- Reduce the heat to 170c and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Take it out and slice it into strips.
- While the pork is cooking, make the salad:
- Mix the oil, vinegar, onion, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds and spring onion in a mixing bowl.
- Add the coriander leaves and give it a good toss.
- On a plate, make a bed of the coriander leaves
- Decorate it with as much pork as you like and serve.
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