INGREDIENTS

• 1kg boneless pork belly (skin on)
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 tbs light soy sauce
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp five spice

Sour Peach Salad:

• 1 tbs peanut oil
• 1/3 cup (80ml) lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 small red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1 tbs palm sugar
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs light soy sauce
• 2 tbs toasted chopped macadamias
• 4 eschalots, thinly sliced
• 2 cups mixed fresh herbs (such as Thai basil, coriander and mint)
• 3 slightly under-ripe peaches, cut into wedges

METHOD

1. Score the pork belly skin in a crisscross pattern. Place pork on a rack in the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water (this will result in crisp crackling). Pat dry with paper towel.
2. Combine garlic, soy sauce, oil, chilli and five spice in a bowl with 2 teaspoons sea salt. Rub marinade into pork skin. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. The next day, preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the pork on a rack in a roasting pan, skin-side up. Pour enough boiling water to fill the pan to just below the rack and roast for 30 minutes or until the skin is crispy. Reduce temperature to 180°C and cook for a further 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender.
4. Rest, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes. For the sour peach salad, combine the oil, lime juice, garlic, chilli, sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce in a bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Place the macadamias, eschalot, herbs and peach in a bowl.
5. Drizzle over most of the dressing and toss to combine.
6. Carve the pork, drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve with the sour peach salad. Serves 6-8.

Recipe by Valli Little. Reproduced with the permission of delicious magazine and ABC Books.