Vietnamese-style Spiced Caramel Pork Belly
Sticky pork belly with a caramel sauce packed with fragrance, flavour, and intrigue from Angostura Aromatic Bitters.
2h 15m8Servings
Nutrition
768kcal
20gProtein
46gCarbs
56gFat
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
Pork Belly
800 g
Orange Peel
3 pieces
Orange Juice
1 whole
Chicken Stock
1 cup
Brown Sugar
½ cup
Apple Cider Vinegar
⅓ cup
Soy Sauce
⅓ cup
Sweet Dark Soy Sauce
2 tbsp
Angostura Aromatic Bitters
⅓ cup
Ginger
1 tbsp
Sea Salt
1 tsp
Ground Black Pepper
½ tsp
Brown Onion
1 whole
Asian Herbs
OptionalA few leaves
1 piece
CARROT PICKLE
Carrots
3 whole
White Vinegar
⅓ cup
White Sugar
⅓ cup
Sea Salt
2 tsp
NUOC CHAM DRESSING
Fish Sauce
3 tbsp
White Sugar
3 tbsp
White Vinegar
2 tbsp
Garlic Cloves
2 cloves
Birdseye Chillies
1.5 pieces
Instructions
1Marinate the Pork
Combine Ingredients
Place pork pieces in a large mixing bowl. Add orange peel, orange juice, chicken stock, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauces, Angostura aromatic bitters, ginger, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together until the meat is well coated.
Marinate
Allow the pork to marinate for 30 minutes.
2Prepare Carrot Pickle
Mix Pickle Ingredients
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the carrots, white vinegar, white sugar, and sea salt. Set aside.
3Cook the Pork Belly
Sear Pork
Place a heavy-based saucepan on medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil. Add the pork pieces and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Add the onion and toss until well combined.
Simmer
Pour the reserved marinade over the pork and onion. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour, or until the sauce has thickened and the pork is fork-tender.
4Make Nuoc Cham Dressing
Combine Dressing
In a small bowl, mix together the fish sauce, white sugar, white vinegar, finely chopped garlic cloves, and finely chopped birdseye chillies. Set aside for later.
5Serve
Plate and Serve
Once the pork is cooked, transfer it to a serving plate. Serve with the carrot pickle, nuoc cham dressing, and fresh herbs, if using.
Tips
The Angostura bitters add a complex layer of flavour, don't skip this ingredient.
Ensure the pork belly is cooked until fork-tender for the best texture.
The carrot pickle and nuoc cham dressing can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.