Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Thai Pork Salad, Crackling
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
40 minutes (plus 2-4 hours marinating)
30 minutes
About 3.5 hours, plus overnight skin-drying
Serves:
4 servings (starter or light main)
Jhane created this dish for MasterChef UK ™ Series 22. Her Thai-inspired plate pairs soy-, ginger- and honey-marinated grilled pork with shatteringly crisp crackling over a bright herb salad of snap peas, fennel, mint and Thai basil. A lime and sesame dressing - sweet, sour and hot at once - ties it...
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Ingredients
FOR THE GRILLED PORK & MARINADE
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
500 g (1 lb) pork neck or collar steaks, skinless
1 tbsp vegetable oil, for the griddle
FOR THE CRISPY CRACKLING
200 g (7 oz) pork skin (rind), fat scraped off
About 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable oil, for deep-frying (shared with the rice paper)
1 tsp fine sea salt
FOR THE PUFFED RICE PAPER
2 rice paper rounds (banh trang), fried dry
FOR THE HERB SALAD
100 g (3.5 oz) sugar snap peas, finely sliced on the angle
1 head baby gem lettuce, leaves separated
1/2 fennel bulb, very finely shaved
15 g (large handful) fresh mint leaves
15 g (large handful) Thai basil leaves
FOR THE LIME & SESAME DRESSING
3 tbsp lime juice (from about 2 limes)
2 tbsp fish sauce
20 g (1 1/2 tbsp) palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 red bird's-eye chilli, chopped (more or less, to taste)
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp toasted Sesame Seeds
TO SERVE
Toasted Sesame Seeds, to garnish
Lime wedges
EQUIPMENT
Griddle pan or barbecue
Deep heavy pan or wok, for deep-frying
Mandoline or sharp knife
Wire rack and tray
Tongs and slotted spoon
Method
STEP 1: MARINATE THE PORK (2-4 HOURS AHEAD)
Whisk together the soy sauce, grated ginger, honey, garlic, fish sauce and toasted sesame oil. Coat the pork steaks thoroughly, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Bring back to room temperature before grilling.
STEP 2: PREPARE THE PORK SKIN (START THE DAY BEFORE)
Scrape any soft fat from the underside of the pork skin so only the rind remains. Simmer the skin in water for 45-60 minutes until tender, then pat completely dry. Lay it on a wire rack and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out fully - dry skin is the single most important factor for crackling that puffs rather than spits. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
STEP 3: MAKE THE DRESSING
Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the sesame oil, chopped chilli, grated garlic and sesame seeds. Taste and adjust until it is sweet, sour and hot all at once - a dressing good enough to sip. Set aside.
STEP 4: FRY THE CRACKLING
Heat the deep-frying oil to about 190C (375F). Lower in the dried skin pieces a few at a time and fry until they puff up, blister and turn golden and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and season immediately with the fine sea salt.
STEP 5: PUFF THE RICE PAPER
In the same hot oil, fry the rice paper sheets one at a time - they puff and turn opaque within a few seconds. Drain on kitchen paper and, once cool, break into shards.
STEP 6: GRILL THE PORK
Heat a griddle pan or barbecue until very hot and brush with a little vegetable oil. Grill the marinated pork, turning once, until well charred and cooked through (an internal temperature of 63C / 145F). Rest for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.
STEP 7: DRESS THE SALAD
Spin the lettuce, herbs, fennel and snap peas dry in a salad spinner. Combine the sliced sugar snap peas, gem lettuce, shaved fennel, mint and Thai basil in a large bowl and toss with most of the dressing, just to coat - the leaves should stay lively, not wilted.
STEP 8: PLATE UP
Pile the dressed herb salad onto plates. Arrange the sliced grilled pork over and through it, scatter over the crackling, and shard the puffed rice paper on top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, finish with toasted sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges.
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Instructions
FOR THE GRILLED PORK & MARINADE
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
500 g (1 lb) pork neck or collar steaks, skinless
1 tbsp vegetable oil, for the griddle
FOR THE CRISPY CRACKLING
200 g (7 oz) pork skin (rind), fat scraped off
About 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable oil, for deep-frying (shared with the rice paper)
1 tsp fine sea salt
FOR THE PUFFED RICE PAPER
2 rice paper rounds (banh trang), fried dry
FOR THE HERB SALAD
100 g (3.5 oz) sugar snap peas, finely sliced on the angle
1 head baby gem lettuce, leaves separated
1/2 fennel bulb, very finely shaved
15 g (large handful) fresh mint leaves
15 g (large handful) Thai basil leaves
FOR THE LIME & SESAME DRESSING
3 tbsp lime juice (from about 2 limes)
2 tbsp fish sauce
20 g (1 1/2 tbsp) palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 red bird's-eye chilli, chopped (more or less, to taste)
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
TO SERVE
Toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
Lime wedges
EQUIPMENT
Griddle pan or barbecue
Deep heavy pan or wok, for deep-frying
Digital probe thermometer
Mandoline or sharp knife
Salad spinner
Wire rack and tray
Tongs and slotted spoon
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: MARINATE THE PORK (2-4 HOURS AHEAD)
Whisk together the soy sauce, grated ginger, honey, garlic, fish sauce and toasted sesame oil. Coat the pork steaks thoroughly, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Bring back to room temperature before grilling.
STEP 2: PREPARE THE PORK SKIN (START THE DAY BEFORE)
Scrape any soft fat from the underside of the pork skin so only the rind remains. Simmer the skin in water for 45-60 minutes until tender, then pat completely dry. Lay it on a wire rack and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out fully - dry skin is the single most important factor for crackling that puffs rather than spits. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
STEP 3: MAKE THE DRESSING
Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the sesame oil, chopped chilli, grated garlic and sesame seeds. Taste and adjust until it is sweet, sour and hot all at once - a dressing good enough to sip. Set aside.
STEP 4: FRY THE CRACKLING
Heat the deep-frying oil to about 190C (375F). Lower in the dried skin pieces a few at a time and fry until they puff up, blister and turn golden and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and season immediately with the fine sea salt.
STEP 5: PUFF THE RICE PAPER
In the same hot oil, fry the rice paper sheets one at a time - they puff and turn opaque within a few seconds. Drain on kitchen paper and, once cool, break into shards.
STEP 6: GRILL THE PORK
Heat a griddle pan or barbecue until very hot and brush with a little vegetable oil. Grill the marinated pork, turning once, until well charred and cooked through (an internal temperature of 63C / 145F). Rest for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.
STEP 7: DRESS THE SALAD
Spin the lettuce, herbs, fennel and snap peas dry in a salad spinner. Combine the sliced sugar snap peas, gem lettuce, shaved fennel, mint and Thai basil in a large bowl and toss with most of the dressing, just to coat - the leaves should stay lively, not wilted.
STEP 8: PLATE UP
Pile the dressed herb salad onto plates. Arrange the sliced grilled pork over and through it, scatter over the crackling, and shard the puffed rice paper on top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, finish with toasted sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges.
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