Its been a while since I posted as life seems to be getting in the way. Holidays, work and family have all meant that I have been cooking far less than I would like.

This weekend though I am fermenting things again, and the usual batch of yogurts has been joined by some home made tomato ketchup (currently in the slow cooker, but will be fermented once ready) and a new thing for me – fermented pork belly.

 

I admit to feeling a little nervous about fermenting meat, but I’m willing to give it a go. This recipe was taken from this website

http://shesimmers.com/…/thai-soured-pork-ribs-naem-si-krong…

I used pork belly slices which I cut into nice cubes. It was packed into the jar, where it remained at room temperature for three days.  All I could do was stare and hope that I didn’t poison myself!

On day 3 I removed a small piece, wiped away the excess rice and fried it.  Wow.  The taste was incredible.  I cooked and ate half of the jar for my dinner and promised to add it to my repertoire.  The remaining meat stayed in the jar for a further 2 days.  I was feeling brave and I am so glad I did.  The extra time gave the meat an even more sour quality which I found quite delicious.

While I was waiting for that final ferment, I researched further and discovered that in many traditional homes, this recipe is served raw.  Raw pork that has been in a warm kitchen for 5 days?  What could possibly go wrong?

Did I try it raw?  What do you think?

Well, yes I did and I lived to tell the tale AND I’ll be doing it again.  But if you fancy giving it a try, make sure you follow the recipe.  This is a finely tuned recipe and you can’t mess with the quantities.  Use the link above and let me know what you think!