Barbecued Pork Belly with Spiced Plum Sauce

Method

1. Remove the pork belly roast from the packaging, pat dry with paper towel. With a small sharp knife score the skin at one centimetre intervals being careful not to cut into the meat. Place roast on a wire rack in the sink, pour a jug of boiling water over the rind, pat dry with paper towel, leave the roast uncovered in the fridge for one hour before cooking, or over night if time allows.
2. Remove from the fridge, rub the rind with vegetable oil and sea salt, massaging well into the scored areas.
3. Ensure your barbecue is clean and free from any grease or debris. Set up your barbecue with a convection tray and a trivet. Preheat the heat the barbecue to a high heat, 230° to 260°C
4. Place the pork belly on the trivet, close the lid and allow to cook for 20 to 30 minutes to crackle the skin, avoid lifting the lid during this time.
5. Adjust the barbecue temperature to medium heat 190° to 230°C, and continue to cook over a medium heat for a further 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 60°C (use a meat thermometer) The internal temperature will continue to rise 3°C to 6°C while resting (final doneness temperature for Pork is 63°C for medium, 68°C for medium well). Rest for ten minutes before serving.
6. While the pork belly is cooking, prepare the plum sauce. In a medium sized sauce pan place the red and rice wine vinegar, add the sugar, soy, chilli, cinnamon and star anise. Allow to simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Add the halved plums, cover with a cartouche and simmer very gently for 10 minutes. Remove the cartouche and allow to continue simmering for another 2-3 minutes.
7. To serve, place some of the plum sauce on a platter, slice the pork belly and place on top of the sauce, serve with the extra sauce and steamed rice.

1. A cartouche is a piece of baking paper cut to size to cover the food in the saucepan while it gently cooks. It allows a small amount of liquid to evaporate while keeping the fruit submerged.