Gordon's Great Escape

Gordon learns how to make an authentic Thai curry using pork belly as part of his Great Escape

Serves 4-6

• 4 tbsp oil
• 500g pork belly, diced
• 500g pork shoulder or leg, diced
• 2 tsp Thai curry powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp oyster sauce
• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2tbsp cane sugar or palm sugar
• 2 tbsp pickled garlic
• 2 tbsp young baby garlic
• 2 tbsp pickled ginger
• Approx. 1 litre chicken stock
• 100g peanuts, toasted
• 2 tbsp shredded ginger

For the curry paste

• 20 dried red chillies, rehydrated
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp roughly sliced lemongrass
• 2 tbsp chopped galangal
• 4 tbsp chopped shallot
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp shrimp paste

To garnish

• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp shredded ginger

1. To make the paste, grind together all the paste ingredients until smooth. Heat the oil in a large wok, add a generous amount of paste and cook for a few minutes.

2. Place the pork belly and pork shoulder into a large bowl and toss together with the Thai curry powder and cinnamon to evenly coat. Add the pork into the wok with the paste and sauté for a few minutes then add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar and continue to cook for a few minutes to caramelise the pork.

3. Bash together the pickled garlic, young baby garlic and pickled ginger and add to the pork. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a banana leaf. Allow to cook gently for 1½ hours.

4. Towards the last 20 minutes of cooking, add the toasted peanuts and shredded ginger to the pan and continue to cook.

5. Spoon into bowls to serve and garnish with thinly sliced red chillies and shredded ginger.