Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60ml) peanut oil
• 1 cup (150g) finely chopped palm sugar
• 1/4 cup (40g) shredded fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 6 eschalots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1.2kg pork belly, skin on
• 1/2 cup (125ml) fish sauce
• Juice of 4 drinking coconuts (about 1.1L)
• 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce
• 50g fresh dry coconut, grated
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 pomelos, peeled, segmented, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 cup round mint leaves
• 1 cup coriander leaves
• 1/3 cup fried eschalots (see note), to serve

Coconut rice

• 1 cup (200g) jasmine rice
• 175ml coconut milk
• 175ml water

Method

• Step 1 Heat oil in a large flameproof casserole pan or saucepan over medium heat. Add 140g of palm sugar and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until sugar caramelises. Add ginger, garlic and half the eschalot, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add pork and stir to coat. Add 1/3 cup (80ml) fish sauce, coconut juice and soy sauce. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, skimming surface occasionally, for 1 hour or until tender.

• Step 2 Remove pork from pan, cover with foil and set aside in a warm place to rest. Increase heat to high and cook sauce for 30 minutes or until reduced by two-thirds. Reduce heat to low. Return pork to pan and stir to coat. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes, basting regularly.
• Step 3 Preheat oven to 180C. Spread coconut over a foil-lined oven tray and cook in oven for 15 minutes or until toasted. Cool.
• Step 4 To make coconut rice, cook jasmine rice following packet instructions for the absorption method, substituting coconut milk for half the water.
• Step 5 Meanwhile, place lime juice, remaining fish sauce and palm sugar in a bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Combine pomelo, mint, coriander, remaining eschalots and toasted coconut in a bowl. Add dressing and gently toss to combine. Remove pork from sauce, slice and arrange on plates. Top with a little sauce and pomelo salad, then sprinkle with fried eschalots. Serve with coconut rice.