Sweet Crispy Pork I

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 300 g pork neck in one piece
• 125 ml soy sauce, sweet, dark
• 250 g palm sugar, crushed
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 dashes fish sauce
• 1 star anise, 1 broken corner of it
• Oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Rest period approx. 2 days; Total time approx. 2 days 35 minutes

moo group warn

Cut the meat into strips approximately 5 x 2 cm wide. Crush the star anise wedge in a mortar and pestle, removing any woody bits and using only the remaining fine powder. Simmer the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce with the palm sugar and star anise until reduced to a thick syrup (approx. 3 minutes). Stir frequently, as the sugar and oyster sauce burn easily. Let the syrup cool. Place the meat in the syrup and marinate for a day. Then let it dry almost completely at room temperature for a day – ideally on a wire rack. This works well in a switched-off oven. Deep-fry the meat strips in oil at moderate heat (approx. 170°C) in a wok or deep fryer until mahogany brown. Serve on a platter with other delicacies. Note: Only use well-marbled pork – ideally pork belly. For this recipe, however, I used a piece from the shoulder. Tip: Since the meat is sweet, a spicy and sour side dish, such as Thai som tam or spicy and sour pickled cabbage, goes perfectly with it. A simple fish sauce and lime juice dip with fresh chili is also delicious.