Pork belly (braised, pressed and cooked), with Chinese buns, fresh coconut salad and reduction

The steamed Chinese buns are fun to make.  I do not eat soft bread in general, but to make a purpose built version is rather satisfying.  Rolled into pretty scrolls and steamed in the bamboo steamer....

Pork belly, in general needs to be cooked twice (thrice sometimes).  I braised a piece of boneless Kenyan (the best here if it's available) pork belly in crushed star anise, soy, vinegar, garlic and pastis.

I was hedging my bets, not sure to take this Asian or European.  Oooh Asian is so damn delicious with pork belly ... so I went with that.  I'd made these pretty wee buns regardless.

The salad was shaved fennel, fresh coconut toasted in chunks, fresh shaved coconut, coriander, kaffir lime leaf, julienned ginger, roasted dried chilli and crispy onions.

The sauce was a reduction of the braising liquor balanced with salty hot sour sweet at the end.

Yes, as good as it looks.  Better maybe.  Yum.  That glassy pork skin.  Not burnt crackling, just a stunning glass layer with unctuous rendered fat and meat beneath.

Perfection.