INGREDIENTS
- Pre-cooked pork belly about 900g (Waitrose is a good source) or use leftover cooked pork belly from a roast
- dark soy sauce 6 tbsp
- fish sauce 4 tbsp
- ginger grated to make 1 tbsp
- limes 2, juiced
- soft brown sugar 175g
- red chilli 1, seeded and finely chopped
- cucumber 1
STEP 1
Remove the pork belly from any packaging if using bought. Cut into 5cm squares.
STEP 2
Combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, lime juice and brown sugar in a saucepan and melt the sugar over a low heat. Bubble, while stirring, until syrupy, then take off the heat to cool slightly. Toss the pork belly cubes with 100ml of the marinade in a bowl, and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Mix the remaining sauce with the chilli and leave at room temperature to use as a dip.
STEP 3
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Stand the belly pork pieces skin-side up on the tray and roast for 20 minutes until golden, sticky and caramelised. Use a swivel vegetable peeler to cut the cucumber into as many strips as you have pork belly chunks. Ruffle each strip onto a cocktail stick or small wooden skewer, and leave in the fridge.
STEP 4
To serve, skewer each pork belly piece with one of the cucumbered skewers, then arrange on a platter with the bowl of Vietnamese caramel dipping sauce.