Salt and Chilli Pork Belly with Black Vinegar

I am totally in love with the Pork Belly in Izakaya Den. It just melt in my mouth. Believe it or not, I have never experience melt in my mouth pork belly before I visited Izakaya Den. Since then, I have been busy searching the ways to cook pork belly so that it melts in my mouth and guess what, I found it. I don't know if it same with the Izakaya Den's method but this does melt in my mouth.So, I found out that the secret is 'gently slow-cooking' the meat and salt also helps lift the flavour of produce.

Ingredients:

• 500g pork belly
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 3/4 cup cooking oil for frying
• 1/2 cup corn flour
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or chili flakes, add more if you need some kick :)
• a pinch of five spice powder

      For the vinegar dip

• 60ml black vinegar
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, mince
• 1 1/2 tsp green shallot, mince
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
• juice of fresh lime OR lemon, to taste

Method:-

1. First of all, sprinkle 1/4 tsp of salt on pork belly and gently steam the pork belly for 3 hours until it is soft and gelatinous. Add more hot water if the steaming water dries up.
2. To make the vinegar dip, combine all ingredients and mix well.
3. After 3 hours, move pork belly from steamer and leave it to cool. Once cool, cut the pork into small pieces and set aside. 
4. Preheat pan of oil.
5. Combine cornflour, plain flour,  salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper and five spice powder in a bowl and mixed well to create a spiced flour. 
6. Then, toss the cubes of pork belly in the flour mix until well coated, fry until all sides are golden and crispy. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
7. Then, garnish with red chilli and green shallots. Serve with the vinegar dip.