Sticky, crispy pork belly, with soft noodles and lovely warm flavours - this is my favourite comfort food of the moment.
Really simple to make, and really good.
Quantities are kind of flexible so it's up to you if you want more of the pork belly or more of the noodles, or to make the sauce more of a soupier texture. Or just more of all of it of course!
I'd say maybe 2 pork belly slices per person and we want these good and dark and sticky and crispy, so add a couple of tablespoons of light soy sauce and another couple of runny honey.
Mix it all together and then cook on a baking tray a medium oven (or in a remoska, like me), turning a few times, for 45-60 minutes. You can finish under the grill if you really want it crisped up more.
While the pork is cooking, prepare some dried rice noodles according to the pack instructions so they're ready to stir fry.
I like these vermicelli rice noodles for this dish and mine took longer to soak than the packet said - I like them very soft in this dish anyway, so soaked mine in a pan of boiling water (taken off the heat the minute it comes to the boil and the noodles thrown in) for about ten minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water to stop them cooking further.
They can then just wait until the pork's done.
Also prepare the other ingredients:
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 - 1 red chilli depending on your taste and how you feel
2 or 3 tablespoons - maybe a little more - water
1/3 Knorr chicken stock cube
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 finely sliced spring onions
fresh coriander leaves, chopped
When the pork is cooked, remove it from the baking dish and slice into bite-sized chunks - I also remove some of the fat if it's very fatty but that's just personal choice, so do whatever's going to taste best for you.
Then put a non-stick frying pan on the heat, add the tiniest amount of oil - I use a few sprays of a spray oil - and add the onion, garlic and chilli, stir frying for a couple of minutes. Add a splash of water if it looks like it might be sticking - garlic burns really easily so keep it moving and add that splash of water if you need to.
Then add a good slosh of water, crumble in the piece of stock cube, add fish sauce and bring it all to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes or so until the onions are soft.
It's entirely up to you if you want to add more or less water, to make more of a sauce or more of a dry dish.
When the onions are softening, add the noodles, and stir fry for another few minutes - again add water if you need or want to - until the noodles are hot through.
Then add the pork pieces and stir - cook for another minute or so, then add the spring onions and coriander, stir through, remove from heat and serve.
Finish with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper and - that's it!
Yes it takes a little time for the pork belly to cook, but then the rest of it is just combining a few ingredients really.
Eat and enjoy ....