I love pork belly and have it often in a really spicy sour salad, or in this lovely soft noodle dish.
And today I thought I'd make a red curry with it ... I didn't actually mean to have this with noodles, but I'd somehow - outrageously somehow - run out of rice!
I didn't even know that was a THING, to not have rice just always there in the cupboard!
ANYWAY.
Cook the pork belly first (as much as you like - I had two slices per person) as that will take longest.
I drizzle my pork belly slices with a little light soy sauce and then cook until crispy and gorgeous - it usually takes longer than I think, anywhere from 40 - 60 minutes - and I turn them every 15 minutes or so.
Once cooked, remove from heat and cut into chunks. I also remove some of the fat at this point as I just don't want it all, but that's just personal preference and entirely up to you.
For a crispy pork belly Thai red curry for two, you'll also need:
rice or noodles, so cook the rice so it's ready to go, or prepare the noodles according to pack instructions
cooking oil (I use a spray oil)
a good dessertspoon of good red curry paste
1/2 - 1 tin coconut milk (I really do think full fat is better than 'light' versions)
whatever vegetables you choose, or happen to have! I had broccoli and asparagus - and I do like adding a few halved cherry tomatoes to this too
1 tsp sugar
a slosh of fish sauce
the juice of a lime
Thai sweet basil leaves if you can get them (don't use Mediterranean basil, it's totally different)
a few slices of red chilli to garnish, if liked
OK, so we've got our pork belly cooked and chopped, and our rice keeping warm in a pan with a lid on it, or - like me - soaked noodles ready to add at the end.
Next, just put a non-stick frying pan over a heat, add a few sprays of cooking oil, and then go in with the red curry paste.
Stir this just for a few seconds really, enough to start releasing the fragrance, and then pour in the coconut milk (how much is how thin or creamy you like the consistency - personally I go for half a tin for two).
When it comes to a simmer, throw in the vegetables and simmer for five or six minutes.
Then add the pork belly pieces and the noodles (if using), stir to combine well and add the sugar, a good slosh of fish sauce and squeeze in the lime juice.
Cook for another minute and then remove from heat, stirring in the Thai basil if you have it.
It would have looked nicer with the green basil, so I tried to pretty mine up a bit with a couple of slices of red chilli.
That didn't really work but what this lacks in prettiness it certainly makes up for in the most comforting deliciousness and combination of textures and flavours!
