Is it just us, or whenever you’re in a restaurant and there’s mention of crispy pork belly or a spicy Asian pork dish on the menu, you just have to work it into your order? Same goes when you’re in a cosy gastro pub, it’s the golden pork schnitzel or that traditional pork pie that makes its way onto your plate.
We hear you. So we’ve teamed up with the experts on how to cook pork perfectly – a line-up of Pork Star chefs, as well as GT resident experts – to give you this collection of succulent pork recipes you’ll want to get on your fork, stat.
“A hearty soup, Kawlata is popular in Malta,” says cookbook author Julia Busuttil Nishimura. “My version is a little simpler and leans on pork belly and sausages for richness. You can also scatter in some small pasta like acini di pepe or anellini in the last 10 minutes of cooking.”
These crisp and spicy red curry skewers by Pork Star chef Martin Boetz uses pork collar butt (which is also know as pork neck). It’s the perfect cut here as it remains tender even after being twice cooked – first steamed then char-grilled giving the pork gnarly charred edges that add extra crunch to the dish.
“This dish is also referred to as minced pork with brown bean sauce. I prefer to call it Beijing noodles with Chinese ‘Bolognese’ sauce. A typical one-dish meal, zhajiang mian calls for brown bean sauce made from fermented soy beans and wheat flour. A reputable brand is Pun Chun,” says chef Tony Tan.
Most chef’s will sub in Australian Pork for chicken in a good schnitty, as it makes for a schnitzel that’s authentically traditional and irresistibly tender. The parmesan in the crumb gives another boost of flavour.
Kylie Kwong creates a perfectly balanced dish where the lightly pickled coleslaw brings a refreshing counterpoint to the slow-cooked and caramelised nuggets of pork belly.
Short Grain’s Martin Boetz gets the pork crackling extra crisp by steaming it before roasting. The gentle heat from steaming slowly renders the fat beneath the skin without drying out the meat. Keep the crunch by adding it to the curry just before serving.
“You can marinate the pork neck a day ahead, roast it and serve it with a relatively simple sweet and sour sauce,” says chef Phil Wood. “Slice it up and put it in the middle of the table so people can take as much as they want; it’s also great if you’re entertaining.”
From the talented and awarded team at MR Charcuterie comes this very traditional take on a pork pie using pork lard, freshly minced pork shoulder and pork stock. All wrapped neatly in a hot water pastry.
“Although brining is another step, it allows meat to be evenly seasoned and keeps it juicy when cooking,” says Rodney Dunn. “The other benefit is that any leftovers will keep for longer.”
Australian Pork mince meets deep-fried vermicelli noodles in this Asian favourite by chef Martin Boetz.
PorkStar inspires usage of Australian pork by connecting the stories, knowledge, and people of pork to you!
