Roast pork-belly sliders
( SERVES 12 )

Ratings: 4.0 / 5 FROM 1

NZ Woman's Weekly 13/3/2013

A little planning is needed here, but the satisfying results are well worth the effort. Serve these in small soft rolls, baps or slider buns.

1 tsp	Cloves, whole
1	Cinnamon stick, snapped into pieces
1 tsp	Fennel seeds
1 tsp	Sichuan peppercorns
3 Tbsp	Salt
1 Ltr	Water
1 tsp	Chilli flakes
1 tsp	White peppercorns
1	Star anise
1	Mandarin, peel only
800 g	Pork belly, skin cut 5mm apart for crackling
400 ml	Chicken stock
1 Tbsp	Vegetable oil
12	Bread rolls, small
1	Cucumber, sliced
2	Spring onions, shredded
3 Tbsp	Hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp	Chilli sauce, from Asian supermarkets, or use sriracha sauce

Put cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, peppercorns, chilli flakes and star anise in a dry frying pan. Toast over a low heat for 2 minutes. Use a pestle and mortar and pound until roughly ground.
Place ground spices in a saucepan with salt, water and mandarin peel. Bring to the boil and turn off. Pour into a large bowl to cool. Sit pork in brine, cover and chill for 12 hours.
Heat oven to 180C fan bake. Discard brine and put pork skin-side up in a roasting dish.
Pour in stock, oil and cover with foil. Roast 1½ hours. Remove foil and increase heat to 220C. Cook 20 to 30 minutes until skin is golden.
Rest for 15 minutes. Slice.
To serve, open up the buns, add pork, top with cucumber, spring onion, hoisin and a little sriracha or hot Asian chilli sauce.

Bite