BRAISED PORK WITH GINGER AND STAR ANISE

Diana Henry’s new book: How to Eat a Peach,which is a beautiful collection of menus rather than recipes; it’s also a sort of memoir, an account of the places she’s travelled to since she was a teenager, and where she discovered all the dishes she loves to cook and eat.  Dark and glossy, sweet and hot, this dish is so moreish.

Serve it with KOREAN CUCUMBER SALAD

INGREDIENTS   Serves 6

2 tablespoon sunflower oil
1.5kg pork cheeks, cut into 3cm cubes
300g shallots, sliced
35g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
8 garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed
8 tablespoons kecap manis
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
800ml chicken stock1 star anise
3 medium-hot chillies, halved, deseeded and finely chopped2 birds’ eye chillies, left whole

for the crispy fried shallots

Groundnut or vegetable oil
100g shallots, finely sliced
Sea salt flakes

METHOD

Heat the sunflower oil in a large heavy based pan over a medium heat. Brown the pork cheek in batches until golden. Remove the pork and set aside.

Add the shallots to the pan and cook until soft and golden, add the ginger and garlic. Return the pork to the pan and add the kecap manis, soy sauce, tamarind paste, and the chicken stock. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Add the star anise and the chillies and leave to cook uncovered for 3 hours.

Remove the star anise and the whole chillies

Meanwhile, make the crispy fried shallots by heating about 2cm of oil in a small pan on the simmering plate. Add the shallots and fry, moving them around, until they are crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon to a sheet of kitchen towel on a plate and sprinkle with salt

If the liquid around the pork is not thick and glossy and seems a bit thin, remove the pork with a slotted spoon to a dish and keep it warm. Boil the liquid for a while until it as reduced, and then return the pork to the pan to heat through

Serve the pork with the crispy fried shallots sprinkled over.

Original recipe Diana Henry How to Eat a Peach