I remember the good old days when I'd walk to Hurstville shopping centre late in the afternoon in pyjamas and pick up a box of end-of-the-day char siu pork for $2. I like to think I've evolved and matured since I was 17 but that char siu pork is still something I'd happily eat every afternoon.
This recipe is super, super easy. It does cost a little more than $2 but you can definitely wear your pyjamas while preparing it. I used to have this with cabbage, but since I was using the oven, I decided to roast some fennel with it. When roasted, fennel loses its anise flavour and becomes really sweet.
You'll need:
500g pork (I used pork belly rashers but if you don't like fat, you can get a loin fillet)
3 tablespoons char siu sauce (it's a deep red jammy sauce)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ fennel bulb
Vegetable oil
Combine char siu sauce, sesame oil and pork and marinade for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Slice the fennel and lightly toss with vegetable oil and a bit of leftover marinade. Bake for about 30 minutes.
I grilled the pork on a griddle pan (on the highest heat) for a minute on each side to get those delicious char marks but you can also put the pork straight in the oven.
Bake pork on a wire rack. How long will depend on how thick your pork is. Check it every 10 minutes and if it's not ready, baste it with the leftover marinade and pop it back in.
When done, rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Slice and serve with rice, spring onion, chili and cucumber.
This roasted lamb rack is cooked with Jamie Oliver's homemade barbecue sauce (from his Jamie At Home series) slowly in the oven and served with potato chips and guacamole.
I bought this beautiful rack of lamb from the butcher this morning (smaller racks, around 4 cutlets, are usually readily available at butchers). I love this cut for its tenderness and its outer layer of fat that seals in all the juices during cooking. Best served rare to medium rare, lamb cutlets are deliciously pink and juicy on the inside. With the barbecue sauce, the lamb is smoky and fragrant with a hint of sweet and hot. Homemade potato chips and a tangy guacamole dip make this a fantastic meal to share between 4 (or an epic meal between 2!).
Jamie Oliver's Homemade Barbecue Sauce
1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoons fennel seeds 5 cloves Salt and pepper 1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked 1 bunch rosemary, leaves picked 1 orange, zested and juiced 1 bulb garlic, peeled 4 heaped teaspoons sweet smoked paprika 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar ½ cup organic tomato ketchup 8 tablespoons olive oil 10 bay leaves
Grind cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, salt and pepper in a mortar and pestle.
Chop thyme and rosemary leaves, orange zest and garlic together finely.
Combine with herbs in a large bowl and add all other ingredients.
Roasting the lamb rack
Using a large zip-lock bag, place in the lamb rack and half of the barbecue sauce. Rub the sauce into the meat.
Add jalapeño peppers for some heat.
Seal and marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
Roast for 40 - 60 minutes, depending on how rare you want your lamb. Baste the rack with the remaining barbecue sauce halfway through.
Rest for at least 15 minutes so that the meat relaxes and retains maximum juiciness.
Carve and serve!
Homemade potato chips
1 potato 1 sweet potato (optional) Oil for deep-frying Salt to season
Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat.
Cut the potatoes into thin slices (about 2-3mm).
To find the perfect temperature for deep-frying, place a thick piece of potato in the oil. When it turns golden brown, the temperature of the oil is just right.
Drop potato slices carefully down the side of the wok. Cook the potato in batches to keep the oil at the right temperature.
When golden brown, remove from oil and dry on paper towels.
Salt lightly.
Guacamole
1 avocado ½ brown onion 6 - 8 yellow grape tomatoes Juice of half a lemon Salt and pepper 1 teaspoon chopped chives to serve
Blitz the avocado, onion, tomato, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor to your desired consistency.
If you can't find yellow grape tomatoes, finely dice 1 red tomato and mix in by hand.
