Braised pork belly with 63 degree egg

If you don't have the facilities to make a 63°C egg, you can also substitute with a soft boiled egg.

• serves

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  2 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless pork belly
• 50 g white sugar
• 1 litre young coconut water
• 60 ml (¼ cup) fish sauce
• 3 spring onions, white part only, bashed
• pinch of salt
• ½ tsp finely ground white pepper
• 3 red bird’s eye chillies, left whole
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 8 garlic chives, sliced into 3 cm lengths 
• 6 sprigs coriander 
• 1 long red chilli, julienned
• Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Instructions

Cut the pork belly into 2 cm x 4 cm pieces and set aside.

To make the caramel, place the sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a large saucepan over high heat. Simmer until a dark but not burnt caramel forms, then carefully add the pork pieces to the pan. Stir to coat the pork in the caramel, then add the coconut water. Slowly bring to the boil, skimming off any fat and impurities that rise to the surface. Reduce the heat to low, then add the fish sauce, spring onions, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1½ hours or until the pork is very tender. Add the chillies in the last 5 minutes of cooking. 

Meanwhile, to make the 63-degree eggs. Heat a medium saucepan of water to 60 -63˚C.  Place a small plate on the bottom of the pan to stop the eggs from touching the base, as the temperature is the hottest at the bottom.

Add the eggs and cook for 45-50 minutes, keeping the temperature constant at 60 -63˚C. Remove one of the eggs with a slotted spoon, crack in half into a small bowl. The white should be soft and jelly-like, and the yolk still runny.  If it isn’t cooked enough, give the others another 5 minutes.

Remove and set aside. 

When the pork belly is ready, transfer to serving bowl with a generous amount of the caramel sauce. 

In a mixing bowl, toss the bean sprouts and garlic chives together, then scatter on top of the pork, making a nice nest for the egg to lay in. Carefully crack an egg into the nest of pickled vegetables and garnish with coriander and chilli. 

Serve with jasmine rice. 

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.