Two Ways for Pork Belly

Now I remember a time when pork belly was one of the cheapest cuts that you could buy. But every now and then as with other "cheaper" cuts of meat, they come into fashion so inevitably the price increases with demand. It's like how Nigella Lawson single-handedly made lamb shanks treble in price (and tagines a commonplace cooking utensil in UK kitchens). Even so, more and more people are buying pork belly but how to cook it?

It's no coincidence that the Chinese have countless pork recipes. After all we were the first to domesticate the animal so we've literally had thousands of years of practise. The default word for meat in Chinese (肉) always refers to the flesh of pigs and of all the parts of the pig, the belly is favourite. Below are two classic Chinese ways with the same piece of belly draft that demonstrates the versatility of this piece. The first is Cantonese Roast Belly Pork (燒肉), with the crispiest lightest crackling covering moist firm meat. The second is Dong Po Pork (東坡肉) from Hangzhou region, braised until the flesh, fat & skin is so tender that it seems to dissolve in your mouth whilst eating.

When buying pork belly draft make sure that you are getting a nice even piece. There should be a good layer of meat followed by thin layers of fat/meat/fat then the skin – just picture a rasher of streaky bacon. Canny Chinese cooks always look for the clear definition of these five layers when judging the quality of the piece. This is what makes the belly a special cut of meat and different to all others. The skin should be clear of bristles, there shouldn’t be too many on the belly anyway but if there is then use a sharp knife or razor to scrape it off. Remove any sinew from the flesh side as this will cause the piece to curl up. The two recipes below can be applied to any sized pieces.

Roast Belly Pork














To get the lightest crispiest crackling possible then there are several steps to denaturing the skin in preparation to roasting it.

• Place skin side up on rack and pour boiling water to scald just the skin.
• Then using a skewer or a special spiked stamp poke the skin all over. This allows the skin to blister much more easily and evenly than scoring. I actually use a device called a Jaccard that allows me to make 100s of pinprick sized holes quickly and effortlessly.
• Lastly rub a little bicarbonate of soda or vodka on the skin and leave overnight. (Authentically lye water would be used but who has lye water to hand?) To impart flavour to the meat, rub salt and five-spice into the flesh side before leaving it overnight.

To cook, simply put on a rack and roast at 190C for one hour. The meat will be cooked but the skin will not yet be crispy. This is the eternal dilemma with cooking pork in an oven. By the time the crackling is crispy the meat is overdone, but when the meat is just cooked then the crackling is still chewy. So the best way is to finish the skin under a moderate grill (broiler), with direct heat on the skin it blisters easily and the crackling is guaranteed. Be careful to leave at least five inches between the crackling and the grill so that you are in control. The skin should be bubbling but do not go past the point of charring. Pull the pork out and wait for it to cool a little as hot crackling is never as crispy as cool. You can eat it now but for extra refinement gently scrape away the top layer of crackling to leave a perfectly even light finish. This is secret to the amazing pieces of belly pork that you see hanging in the windows of Chinatown cafés.

Tip: to chop into bite size pieces, lay crackling side down to cut into strips first. Then lay the strips sideways to chop into even morsels.

Dong Po Pork















In complete contrast to the crisp light crackling and the firm moist flesh of Roast Belly Pork there is the unctuous loveliness of this braised dish, Dong Po Pork.

Again the skin has to be prepared first to ensure that in the finished dish it is soft and melting.

• First blanch the pork in some boiling water for ten minutes to remove some of the impurities and set the flesh a little.
• Remove and pat dry before frying the skin in a wok or skillet on a moderate heat till the skin is evenly brown all over, you can if it’s more convenient deep-fry the whole piece instead. If this isn’t done then the skin will be too chewy, it should be very soft and delicate.

If you find that your piece is curling up, either cut into smaller pieces or make deep slashes into the flesh side. It is better for presentation purposes that the pork is as flat as possible.

Now the pork is ready to be braised. Choose a suitable sized pot that is just big enough to hold the pork and line the bottom with spring onion and slices of ginger. Place your pork on this bed of aromatics then add the braising liquor. For the size of pork you see in the photo (approx 1lb), I use 100ml of Shaosing wine, 75ml each of light and dark Soy Sauce, 100g of Yellow Rock Sugar, one whole star anise and just enough water to barely cover the meat (do not dilute the mixture too much). Simmer gently, covered, for three hours. Turn occasionally, but be careful near the end as the meat will be very soft. To serve, let it cool a little before slicing, then pour the strained braising liquid over the meat.

Of course as with any braised dish it will taste better the next day. You can slice it much more easily when it’s completely cool.  Simply steam the pork on the serving plate and finish with some of the liquor warmed through.

If in the photo it appears that it’s still one big piece then that is the idea. But if you click on it and look more closely then you’ll see that it's cut into bite-sized chunks. The meat has been sliced almost but not quite all the way through. When you dig in with your chopsticks to take a piece then the meat should be so soft that the chunks should pull away easily.

Ebi Sushi - Best in UK?

It's big claim I know so let's analyse what makes a great Japanese restaurant in the UK. To me authenticity is the key, somewhere that transports you 6000 miles to a Kyoto backstreet. And that was the impression that I got the first time I stepped through the door of Ebi Sushi. Everything about this place just feels right. From the basic cafe-style decor, warm welcome and most tellingly of all, the mostly Japanese patrons. What's most surprising is that Ebi Sushi is not in London, not even close, it's on a quiet street in Derby!

Ok, now I know you think I'm definitely talking nonsense. How can I claim that the best Sushi restaurant in the UK is in Derby of all places? Let's test that authenticity issue again. How does it work in Japan? Well, you hardly ever get huge American-style eateries over there with 200 covers and a crew of macho chefs laying siege to a mountain of ingredients, overseen by some egomaniac head-chef with the money-men baying for blood. Neither do they care much for Michelin stars and all the pandering needed to please those whimsical Frenchmen. No, most Japanese restaurants are small family run businesses that specialise in one type of Japanese cuisine, from the old couple who make just Kyushu style ramen to the sushi master in his underground bar in Ginza. Often the connection between you, the food and the chef is instant. It is prepared and cooked in front of you, there's no hiding place and no excuses when the food is bad. Likewise when the food is good, a simple quiet grunt of satisfaction is enough to convey your compliments to the chef.

In the case of Ebi Sushi, the chef and proprietor are one - Mr Ebina. Ebi means prawn in Japanese so maybe it is partly fate that he became a sushi chef. Where else in the country is there a Japanese restaurant that is run and owned by the chef? He has everything invested in this place and it shows in the quality of the food. His dedication is total, like every genuine sushi chef he personally chooses the fish at market everyday. To do this he has to drive to Billingsgate Market in the middle of the night.

But why Derby? Well nearby in Burnaston there just so happens to be the Toyota carplant so there's your loyal yet discerning Japanese customer base right there. It was one of those Japanese employees, a friend, that first told me about this place. Claiming in the usual understated Japanese manner that the food here is as good as any back home. Add all the factors together and you have the recipe for a great Japanese restaurant, and that's before I even mention the food...

The top picture shows Ebi's deluxe (上) nigiri sushi set consisting of chu-toro (medium fatty tuna), maguro, mackerel, salmon, ikura (salmon roe), scallop, ebi (of course), hamachi (yellow tail) and tuna maki. I hope the picture does justice to the freshness of the ingredients, this is as good as traditional edo-style sushi will get in this country. It's difficult to describe the brilliance in such simple things, but it is in those things that real difficulty lies. I simply cannot find fault with it, as my Japanese friend says, it is as good as back home. It's comparable to the sushi I've had at the inner market in Tsukiji, Tokyo, which for me is the centre of the sushi universe. For a place in Derby, in the middle of Blighty, a hundred miles from the nearest coast it still seems a little fantastical. It is real, all you have to do is get to 59 Abbey St, Derby DE22 3SJ (01332 265656) and get out again before the Karaoke starts!

Below are some more pics (click to enlarge):

Chirashi Sushi

Prawn Tempura

Uni (Sea Urchin Roe)

What's it all about eh?

Yes it's another food blog! "No not another one" you're thinking, what else could you possibly bring to this already busy party. Well, let's first explain what Eat Family means. The Cantonese have a phrase 食家 (sik gaa) which translates directly as Eat Family. It describes people who are obsessed with food, both cooking and eating it. That is your family, to eat is your clan colour, we're all part of the same Gastro-tribe! Once you are part of the family you never leave it. You recognise other family members from their obsessive behaviour, you know the kind that you display too...

It is in the spirit of familial sharing that I dedicate this blog. I will be sharing the recipes that I've enjoyed cooking, the places in which I've enjoyed eating and presenting mouthwatering photos for your visual consumption. Like the bowl of crab linguine above, one of my favourite dishes. Such a satisfying dish to both cook and devour, maybe because so little effort is needed to make it. This dish is twist on the Italian classic in that I include a good pinch of sweet smoked paprika, Spanish Pimenton De La Vera. The locals would be up in arms, but hey, I'm not Italian and I'm sure if their mamas had made it they would love it too!

Now, I hope you don't get travel sickness because I do like to skip around the culinary globe. I was born in the UK but with a Hong Kong background. So I would consider Cantonese home-cooking to be my comfort food but really when it comes down to it I am a complete food-magpie, I will eat and attempt to cook anything. There's just too much good food out there in the world to stay in one place.

I hope you enjoy my blog as much as I hope to enjoy writing it,
Ta PC.