Aromatic pork with ginger and soy

This is probably one of my favourite far-eastern supper dishes. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients, it’s all available from most supermarkets these days and the cooking method is very simple – prep and then braise in the oven for a couple of hours. The mix of hot, sweet, sour and savoury in the sticky sauce is just delicious with the melt-in-the-mouth chunks of pork and the crisp topping of shallots and spring onions. I serve it with plain jasmine rice and fresh pineapple relish. Lightly stir-fried pak choi works well as a side-dish if you want to serve some extra greens with it. It’s a great Saturday night sharing dish with friends and family.

2tbsp light olive oil
100g finely sliced shallots
50g garlic, crushed
25g fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1.25kg lean pork shoulder cut into 3cm chunks
4 tbsp kecap manis (Indonesian soy sauce – you can find it in most supermarkets – I buy it from Sainsbury’s)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp tamarind water (10g tamarind pulp soaked in 3 tbsp hot water) or from a ready-made jar
1/2 tsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns
3 medium fresh chillies, seeded and chopped
500ml chicken stock
To garnish: 2 shallots, sliced and fried until crisp in a little oil and some finely sliced fresh spring onions
Pineapple relish: a small ripe pineapple – peeled and cut into 1cm pieces, small red onion – thinly sliced, a handful of fresh coriander, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp each of sugar and salt. Mix everything together thoroughly in a bowl and leave to infuse for an hour before serving.
Jasmine or basmati rice to serve

To make…

Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron pot. Add the shallots and fry until soft and then add the ginger, garlic a good pinch of salt and cook through for a minute.
Add the pork pieces and colour lightly. Stir in the kecap manis, soy, tamarind, chilli and stock. Bring to a simmer and then braise in the oven for a couple of hours until the pork is very tender.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the sauce and put it aside on a warm plate. Place the pot on the hob and boil the sauce rapidly until it’s thick and sticky. Check for seasoning, add the pork back in and stir.
When you’re ready to eat, serve it in a warmed dish and scatter with the crispy shallots and spring onion.
Serve with rice and the pineapple salad.

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