Name: Roast pork neck, sweet and sour sauce, vegetable salad
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 300 gm fine salt; 200 gm honey; 100 gm brown sugar; 10 crushed black peppercorns; 2 star anise and cloves; 2 kg pork neck; Sweet and sour sauce; 100 ml coconut vinegar or chardonnay vinegar; 150 gm liquid glucose; 200 ml veal just, see note; such as Bowles Veal Jus); 50 ml sesame oil; 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds; Salad; ¼ Kent pumpkin (800gm), peeled, cut into julienne; 1 tsp fine salt; 2 tsp caster sugar; 250 gm Chinese cabbage (1/4 head); 1 Lebanese cucumber, seeds removed, cut into ribbons; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Roast pork neck, sweet and sour sauce, vegetable salad

If you've been wanting to try cooking left-of-centre cuts of meat, this is the sign you've been waiting for.

Serves 6

Prep

40M

Cook

Total

1H 40M

“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.”

Ingredients

300 gm fine salt

200 gm honey

100 gm brown sugar

10 crushed black peppercorns

2 star anise and cloves

2 kg pork neck

Sweet and sour sauce

100 ml coconut vinegar or chardonnay vinegar

150 gm liquid glucose

200 ml veal just, see note; such as Bowles Veal Jus)

50 ml sesame oil

1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Salad

¼ Kent pumpkin (800gm), peeled, cut into julienne

1 tsp fine salt

2 tsp caster sugar

250 gm Chinese cabbage (1/4 head)

1 Lebanese cucumber, seeds removed, cut into ribbons

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1.To brine pork neck, place 3 litres water in a large saucepan with all ingredients, except pork neck. Bring to the boil and stir to combine. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Place pork in brine and place a weight on top to keep pork submerged in liquid; refrigerate for 3½ hours. Remove pork from brine and discard liquid.

2.Preheat oven to 220˚C. Place pork neck on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and roast until the internal temperature is 60˚C (40-45 minutes); remove from oven and rest for 20 minutes.

3.For sweet and sour sauce, place 100ml water with vinegar, glucose and jus and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer until thickened to a sauce consistency (8-10 minutes). Stir in oil and sesame seeds, and season to taste. Cover with foil and keep warm until ready to use.

4.For salad, place pumpkin in a bowl with salt and sugar, and toss well to combine. Stand for 10 minutes until softened.

5.Heat a lightly greased char-grill pan over high heat. Cook cabbage, turning frequently, until charred all over (5 minutes); cut into 2cm-thick strips. Add cabbage to pumpkin with cucumber and sesame seeds. Season to taste and toss well to combine.

6.Return pork neck to a moderate oven (180˚C) until warm (10 minutes). Thinly slice pork and place on a large platter. Spoon over sauce and serve with salad.