Ba Chi Nuong Sa Te (Grilled Pork Belly with Sate Chili)

Method

1. Wash the pork belly in lightly salted water to clear any smell, drain it and cut it into bite sized pieces, neither too thick nor too thin.
2. Peel, wash and finely chop the shallot. Slice the eggplant and onion thinly and cut the okra into lengths.
3. Put the pork in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon chopped shallot, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 3 tablespoons first press fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper and 3 tablespoons sate chili oil. Work it gently so the seasoning reaches every fiber.
4. Cover the bowl and leave it for 30 minutes, or longer if there is time.
5. Light the charcoal and let the heat settle, lay the pork on the rack and turn it often. Brush on more marinade or a little oil during grilling to keep the surface glossy rather than dry.
6. Grill the vegetables once the pork is nearly done, only briefly so they stay crisp and sweet.

Tips

• Keep the coals at a steady medium, since a hot fire chars the outside while the middle stays raw and a weak one dries the pork out.
• For more heat, chop fresh chili into the sate chili oil at the marinating stage.
• Turn the pieces often so the fat renders evenly.
• The vegetables go on last and need only a short grill to stay crisp and sweet.
• Sate chili oil is salty already, so 3 tablespoons of fish sauce is enough, and any more leaves the grilled pork harsh.