Nearly Chinese Pork Belly

If you are one of those namby pamby people who blanches at the thought of eating anything called “belly”, presumably out of some misguided sense of transference, body dysmorphia, or because you feel that eating a creature’s belly is any more unethical than consuming any other part (such as bacon), then look away now. The rich fatty pork meat of belly is ideal for making this kebab style dish. You could use another part of the animal, such as shoulder steaks, and I have. They are also quite delicious but don’t make such an eye catching title for a blog. I call this “nearly Chinese” because although I haven’t modelled it on any particular Oriental recipe, it tastes that way. You could aim to really Go Chinois  & try adding in Star Anise, Cinnamon, Cloves, even dessicated Coconut, and no doubt I will myself at some point. Below, however, is a perfectly good start. It’s particularly nice with rice, obviously.

1 tsp Cayenne ½ tsp Ginger Powder 1 tsp Garlic Granules or 2- 4 cloves 1 tsp Garam Masala powder 1/3 tsp Turmeric ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper 1 tsp Himalayan Rock Salt 1 tsp Fennel Seeds	Mix the dried herbs together in a small bowl.
3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 3 Tbsp Clear Honey	Mix the wet ingredients and add the dry ingredients above to them, whisking them in with a fork.
500g Pork Belly	Cut the pork into 1” x 1” cubes & add them to the above ingredients in a large bowl. You can cover this with cling film and marinade it in the ‘fridge for as long as you see fit; all day, a few hours, up to you.
Vegetables such as: 1 Pepper 1 Red Onion 2 Large (8 small) Mushrooms Baby Sweet Corn Green Beans	Once the pork has marinaded, chop the following vegetables into chunks and place them in a roasting dish. Pour the pork and marinade sauce out over the vegetables and put it in the oven at 200 degrees C for about 30- 45 minutes. Because the marinade includes honey, if you don’t watch it, the pork will blacken quite quickly so watch out this doesn’t happen. You could put some protective aluminium foil around it for a bit, or whip it out just in time. I prefer to allow it to crisp up a bit because it adds wonderfully to the texture of the kebabs.

Serves 3-4

North Utsire