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!
