CHIFA PHILLY RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 110C/fan 90C/gas ¼. Put the belly in a large deep roasting tray, adding the roughly chopped garlic, onion, carrot, rosemary, thyme, peppercorns and 1 tbsp salt. Cover the belly with water, wrap tightly with foil and put in the oven for 7 hours.
• Once cooked, remove from the oven and cool in the cooking liquor.  When cooled, remove it from the roasting tray and cut into 3cm cubes, cover and chill for at least two hours or overnight to firm up.
• Using a fryer, or in a deep pan no more than 1/3 full, heat the oil to 180C or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Lower the pork belly cubes into the oil using a slotted spoon, frying two or three at a time at the most. Put a lid on the pan immediately, as the oil will spit and bubble from the pork fat for the first 30 seconds or so. Be careful and stand well back. Fry the chicharonnes for 2 minutes or until they are crisp and golden brown. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper for 1 minute.
• Toss the crispy chicharonnes with the kecap manis or sweet soy sauce in a bowl and leave for 1 minute to soak it up.
• To serve, stack several chicharonnes up, pouring some of the sweet soy over them and garnish with coriander and red pepper.

Steps:

• Trim away and discard the long piece of fat running down the side of the steaks. Cut each steak in half and put on a baking tray, then transfer to the freezer and freeze for 40 mins.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan or casserole dish set over a medium heat. Add the onion and peppers along with a good pinch of salt and fry for 20 mins, or until the onions are golden and sticky. Add the vinegar and cook for a further 5 mins. Season to taste.
• Using a sharp knife, slice the steak as thinly as possible and pile the slices into four portions. Heat a skillet over a high heat until almost smoking. Put one portion of the steak slices in the pan in a pile that's roughly the length of your rolls. Fry for 3 mins over a high heat until some of the steak is cooked through, with pink bits remaining. Pile a quarter of the onion mixture on top, as well as a quarter each of the cheese slices and the mozzarella. Continue to cook undisturbed over a medium heat for 5-10 mins until the meat is brown and crisp around the edge and the cheeses have melted. Split one of the rolls open and carefully scoop the meat and cheese mixture into it. Repeat with the remaining meat, onions, cheese and rolls.