Slow-Cooked Maple Pork Belly

For the pork belly:

• 50g maple sugar
• 50g salt
• 1kg pork belly
• 1l chicken stock
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Green vegetables, to serve 

For the spicy maple sauce:

• 150ml light soy sauce
• 180ml pure maple syrup (preferably amber syrup for its rich taste)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp gochujang paste
• 3 red chillies
• 3 garlic cloves
• Juice from the pork

To make the pork belly:

1. Mix the maple sugar and salt together. Then, in a large bowl, thoroughly rub all over the pork.
2. Leave the meat to stand at room temperature to cure for 2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
4. Wash the maple sugar and salt mix off the pork and thoroughly dry the meat with kitchen paper.
5. Score the skin, being careful not to go through the flesh, then rub the pork all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
6. Put the pork in a deep roasting tin and carefully pour the stock down the side.
7. Roast for 3 hours.
8. Remove from the oven and pour the stock and juices from the tin into a saucepan.
9. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C, then return the pork to the oven for 20 minutes to crisp up the crackling.  
10. Transfer the meat to a board and leave to rest, loosely covered, for 20 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, make the sauce.

To make the spicy maple sauce:

1. Add the soy sauce, maple syrup and sesame oil to the saucepan with the cooking juices and bring to a boil.
2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the gochujang, sliced chillies and crushed garlic.
   
   N.B. You can serve the sauce warm or cold.

Assembly:

1. When you’re ready to serve, cut the pork into thick slices and drizzle over the sauce.
2. Serve with steamed green vegetables and the rest of the sauce.