• 1.3 kg (3 lb) skinless boneless pork belly
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 200 ml (7 fl oz) shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 5 cm (2 inch) piece ginger, peeled and julienned
• pinch of chilli flakes
• 100 ml (3½ fl oz) Chinese black vinegar
• 150 g (5½ oz/⅔ cup firmly packed) soft brown sugar
• 700 ml (24 fl oz) vegetable stock

• Toasted sesame seeds, julienned spring onions (scallions), Smacked Cucumber Pickles and steamed rice, to serve

Pickled chillies

• 2 long red or bird’s eye chillies, sliced
• 50 ml (1¾ fl oz) rice wine vinegar

Cut the pork into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces and put it in a bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon each of the soy sauce and shaoxing rice wine, toss to combine, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight if time permits.

Heat half of the vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Cook the pork, in batches until brown on both sides, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining oil and cook the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Add the vinegar, sugar, stock and the remaining soy sauce and rice wine and bring to the boil. Return the pork to the pan, reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 1/-2 hours until the meat is tender. During the final half hour, remove the lid to allow the liquid to reduce.

Meanwhile, to make the pickled chillies, put the sliced chilli and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and stand for 1 hour.

Serve the pork scattered with toasted sesame seeds and spring onion, accompanied by steamed rice and Smacked Cucumber Pickles.