Why I drove for six and a half hours to eat Sticky Asian Pork Belly

A few weeks ago I visited a company in Devon, to see whether we wanted to buy them. It being mid-August I couldn’t decide whether it would be better to drive down or get the train. I mean the train is, in theory, quicker, easier and less stressful than driving.

In reality though, getting the train is a pain in the arse. To get to the station you have to cross London, which takes longer than getting from London to Devon. This country lacks in many ways, but nothing worse than public transport.

So I drove. 168 miles. Took 3 hours. On a Thursday afternoon in the holiday season that’s not so bad. Me in a suit, everyone else in shorts and towing caravans.

The road to England’s very own holiday region is great, so long as you don’t use it in the holiday season. Someone even wrote about it:

The A303 is one of those wonderful British roads that the authorities have semi-modernised; it goes from one lane to two lanes and then back to one lane and so on and so forth. The result is a total pain in the arse as you stop and go with traffic filtering and everyone slowly getting pissed off.

Then there is Stonehenge. It sits a few hundred yards from the road about 80 miles from London. It’s a must-see for anyone visiting England for the first time, but you wouldn’t go back. Yet everyone slows down to look at it as they drive past. It’s a bunch of rocks people. Rocks. Back in the day you could sit on them and eat your sandwiches. Nowadays the local History Police shoot on sight if you get within 100 yards.

Stonehenge – Rocks and Nutjobs

It’s weird going to the South West of England on business. Normally you go there for holidays. I met my colleague and we went to a pub restaurant (the Harbour Inn) in Lyme Regis. I had Sticky Asian Pork Belly.

A revelation. Delicious. Sublime.

I could continue with the superlatives, but you get the idea. And being a blogger of food I instantly decided that I would have to try and recreate. If I ever made it home. We returned to the car, surrounded by sunburned, sand encrusted, drunken holidaymakers and returned to our accomodations.

The next day we met the company directors in a hotel – surrounded by old dears eating scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, sipping tea from porcelain cups. Working in Dorset, or Devon, or where ever it was, wouldn’t be a bad gig.

Following a 5 hour meeting I then set off for London. A mear 168 miles away. But it was Friday afternoon and many, many happy holidaymakers had the same idea.

6 ½ hours people. 6 ½ hours. I averaged 26 MPH. It was a mare.

Anyway back to Sticky Asian Pork Belly. You will need:

For the pork and marinade

• 6-7 pork belly strips, rind removed
• 3 tbsp yoghurt
• 3 tbsp black chinese vinegar
• 1 chilli, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
• 1 glass white wine

For the sticky glaze

• 4 tbsp sesame oil
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 5 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 4 tbsp black chinese vinegar
• 2 chillis, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
• juice of 1 lime
• handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp palm sugar

I served this deliciousness with fried rice and braised pak choy.

First combine the marinade ingredients and put in a sealable tub. Add the pork strips and pop in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Drain the marinade off and put the ribs in a baking tray. Place in the oven and cook at 120 centigrade for an hour and a half. Meanwhile combine the sticky sauce ingredients in a bowl:

Take the pork out the oven:

Pour the sauce over the pork and return to the oven at 180 centigrade. Cook for about 3/4 hours:

Baste the pork once or twice during cooking:

Serve on a bed of rice and pak choy:

Well worth a 320 mile round trip!