Ingredients

• 320g/11½oz pork shoulder
• washed
• pat dry
• skin removed
• 500g/1lb 2oz pork belly
• washed
• pat dry
• skin removed
• 500g/1lb 2oz pork bones
• 2 onions
• halved
• 3 lemongrass stalks
• halved
• 2cm/¾in fresh ginger
• sliced
• 1 banana shallot
• peeled and halved
• 2 star anise
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 5 garlic cloves
• roughly chopped
• 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger
• peeled
• roughly chopped
• 2 shallots
• peeled
• 2 lemongrass stalks
• peeled
• 2 star anise
• 3 tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar or palm sugar
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 400g/14oz dried 5mm wide flat rice noodles
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2cm/¾in fresh ginger
• sliced
• vegetable oil
• for deep-frying
• 100g/3½oz beansprouts
• half head of romaine lettuce
• stalk removed
• long leaves separated
• washed
• pat dry
• sliced down the middle
• 30g/1oz fresh mint
• washed
• pat dry
• 30g/1oz fresh coriander
• 30g/1oz Vietnamese lemon balm
• 30g/1oz of fresh perilla leaves
• 1 red chilli
• thinly sliced
• 1 lime
• sliced into 4 wedges
• 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 4 tsp sriracha sauce

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 120C/100C Fan/Gas ½. Line a roasting tray with greaseproof paper.
• To prepare the fried pork skin
• remove the skin from the pork shoulder and pork belly. Clean off any fat with a sharp knife and slice the skin into 2½cm/1in pieces. Pat dry and place on a wire rack over the prepared tray. Roast for 2½ hours until dry.
• Place the pork bones in 1litre/1¾pint water. Bring to the boil
• then discard the water and scum. Reheat another pot of water and add the pork bones
• then bring to a simmer.
• Place the onion
• lemongrass
• shallot and ginger on a hot griddle pan. Char and brown on all sides. Place the charred ingredients into the bone broth and add the star anise
• sea salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Place the pork shoulder and pork belly in a large plastic bag. In a food processor
• add the garlic
• ginger
• lemongrass and shallot and process until fine. Add into the bag with the meat. Add all the seasoning ingredients. Seal and marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Remove the meat from the fridge. Heat a wok or pan over high heat
• add the rapeseed oil and brown the pork meat until coloured. Add in the rest of the marinade and cook braising with the wok or pan lid on
• for 40 minutes. Check the braising liquid every 15 minutes
• add two ladlefuls of the pork broth to help the braising process and turn the meat to ensure even braising.
• While the meat is braising
• blanch some beansprouts in a pan of water
• drain and set aside. In the same pan cook the rice noodles in boiling water for 6-8 minutes until al dente. Drain
• run through cold water
• drain well and toss through 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil.
• To deep fry the pork skin
• heat the vegetable oil in a deep fat fryer or a deep-sided
• heavy bottomed pan to 180C
• or until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not over-fill the pan or leave unattended). Remove the skin from the oven and then deep fry until golden-brown
• drain on kitchen paper.
• Once the pork is cooked
• take the pork out and add the broth to the wok so the broth fuses with the braising liquid and bring to the boil.
• To serve
• dress the base of the noodle bowl with some fresh romaine lettuce leaves
• top with a handful of cooked rice noodles
• pour the broth over
• dress with sliced braised pork belly and shoulder
• top with blanched beansprouts
• fresh mint
• coriander
• Vietnamese lemon balm
• perilla leaves
• chilli slices
• lime wedge
• tablespoon of hoisin and teaspoon of sriracha. Top with the fried pork skin. Serve immediately.