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.
We have collaborated with Angostura Bitters to produce this content and may get compensation from content or collect a share of sales from links, if you decide to shop from them. This helps support our content creation. I only partner with companies and products that I’d happily recommend to my audience. 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!
