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Bring a taste of Vietnam to the table… with a somewhat surprising ingredient. Get set for fork-tender sticky pork belly that’s enhanced even further with a lush caramel sauce packed with fragrance, flavour and intrigue, thanks to a welcome addition of Angostura Aromatic Bitters.
800g (1 lb 12 oz) pork belly, skin removed, cut into 4cm (1.5”) chunks
3 strips orange peel
juice of 1 orange
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet dark soy sauce
⅓ cup Angostura Aromatic Bitters
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 brown onion, peeled, cut into wedges
Asian herbs (e.g. mint or coriander), to serve (optional)
Carrot pickle:
3 large carrots
⅓ cup white vinegar
⅓ cup white sugar
2 tsp sea salt
Nuoc cham dressing
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-2 birdseye chillies, finely chopped
Place pork pieces in a large mixing bowl, along with the orange peel and juice, chicken stock, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauces, Angostura aromatic bitters, ginger, salt and pepper. Mix everything together in the bowl until the meat is well coated, then allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the carrot pickle, mix the ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
Place a heavy-based saucepan on medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil, followed by the pork pieces, making sure you reserve the marinade. Cook the pork for 5 minutes or until golden brown, then flip over and repeat. Add the onion to the pan and toss until well combined. Pour over the reserved marinade. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour or until the sauce has thickened and the pork is fork tender.
To make the nuoc cham dressing, mix together the ingredients in small bowl. Set aside for later.
Once the pork is cooked, transfer to a serving plate. Serve with the carrot pickle, nuoc cham and fresh herbs, if using.
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Life is better with a little bit of bitters. It’s time to get Angostura Bitters out of the cupboard and into the spice rack!
The best pork belly recipe
I did the Vietnamese belly pork recipe last night and it was so easy to do. The belly pork was so soft and amazing flavour but the only negative was the amount of oil/fat that was sitting on top of the sauce, did I do something wrong
Response from Marion's Kitchen
Thanks so much for your review! Not all pork belly is created equal – some cuts can definitely be fattier than others. You might like to try discarding any leftover fat in the pan after frying the pork before carrying on with the rest of the recipe. Hope this helps!