Barbecued pork belly salad recipe

Name: Barbecued pork belly salad
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp caster sugar; 2 tbsp just-boiled water; 3 tbsp fish sauce; 2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped; 3 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 tbsp lime juice; 1/2 red chilli, finely chopped; 1/2 tbsp caster sugar; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped; 500g pork belly slices; ½ cucumber, seeded and cut into half moons; 2 little gem hearts, leaves separated and shredded; 1 large carrot, grated; 3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced; 2 tbsp unsalted roasted cashew nuts, crushed; handful mint leaves; 1/2 red chilli, sliced

Originating in Lao, larb salad is traditionally made using minced meat, but our tasty twist makes the most of beautifully barbecued pork belly and gives a punchy salad packed with fiery Asian flavour. Crisp cucumber, lettuce, carrot and spring onions complement this rich, tender meat perfectly. Add crushed cashews and fresh mint for extra crunch and fragrance, and serve with a rice vinegar, ginger and lime dipping sauce to make it really sing.

See method

Serves 4
20 mins to prepare and 18 mins to cook
427 calories / serving

Dairy-free
Gluten-free

Shop your ingredients

Silver Spoon Caster Sugar 1Kg
2 tbsp caster sugar
£2.25
£2.25/kg
Blue Dragon Fish Sauce 150Ml
3 tbsp fish sauce
£1.85
£12.33/litre
Tesco Root Ginger Loose
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
£0.56
£5.60/kg
Lee Kum Kee Seasoned Rice Vinegar 120Ml
3 tbsp rice vinegar
£1.70
£14.17/litre
Pride Lime Juice 250Ml
Everyday Low Price
2 tbsp lime juice
£1.00
£4.00/litre
Tesco Red Chillies 60G
Aldi Price Match
1/2 red chilli, finely chopped
£0.51
£8.50/kg
Tesco Pork Belly Slices 500g
Aldi Price Match
500g pork belly slices
£3.39
£6.78/kg
Tesco Whole Cucumber Each
Aldi Price Match
½ cucumber, seeded and cut into half moons
£0.99
£0.99/each
Tesco Babyleaf Salad 90G
2 little gem hearts, leaves separated and shredded
£0.90
£10.00/kg
Tesco Carrots Loose
Aldi Price Match
1 large carrot, grated
£0.11
£0.69/kg
Tesco Bunched Spring Onions 100G
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
£0.69
£6.90/kg
Tesco Cashew Nuts Snack Pack 60G
2 tbsp unsalted roasted cashew nuts, crushed
£1.00
£16.67/kg
Tesco Fresh Cut Mint 30G
Aldi Price Match
handful mint leaves
£0.50
£16.67/kg

Method

Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. To make the dipping sauce, combine the sugar with the just-boiled water, stirring to dissolve. Add this to the fish sauce, choppedginger,rice vinegar, lime juice and chopped chilli.
To make a rub for the pork, combine the sugar with the fish sauce and chopped ginger. Rub this mixture over the pork belly slices with salt and pepper to season. Set aside.
Place a large griddle pan over a medium-high heat to get hot. Shake dry the marinated pork belly slices and spread them out in a single layer on the pan and sear, before transferring to the oven for 20 minutes, until highly coloured and firm. Alternatively, barbecue the pork belly slices over white-hot barbecue coals for 15-18 minutes, turning often until slightly charred and firm. A skewer inserted into the centre of a slice should allow only clear juices to flow; if they are pink the pork needs further cooking.
Transfer the belly slices to a chopping board to rest for 5 minutes. Add the cucumber moons, shredded lettuce, grated carrot andspring onionsinto a serving bowl. Slice the pork belly into bite-sized chunks, add on top of the salad and scatter with crushed cashews, mint leaves and red chilli slices. Serve with the dipping sauce.