This pork dish really is ideal for dinner party entertaing as the first part of the cooking process can be done up to three days in advance. Serve the pork with the marmalade jus or a spicy chutney and vegetables, boosting the Asian flavour with vegetables such as shiitake mushrooms. Quick and easy to create, this delicious jus can also be whipped up beforehand.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg pork belly on the bone, skin removed
• 2 cups chicken stock
• ½ cup light soy sauce
• ¼ cup sake
• ¼ cup mirin (rice wine)
• ¼ cup shredded ginger
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ¼ cup orange marmalade

Marmalade Jus

• ½ cup beef jus (see Cook\'s Tips)
• ¼ cup dry sherry or mirin
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tblsp orange marmalade
• 1 tblsp brown sugar

Method

1. Place the pork in a large shallow saucepan and pour over the chicken stock, light soy, sake and mirin. Scatter over the ginger, star anise and cinnamon stick. Cover.
2. Bring to the boil, then lower to a gently simmer for 1½ hours. Remove from the cooking liquid and set aside. Boil the liquid down to 1 cup and stir in the marmalade. Set aside.
3. Place the pork on a foil-lined tray and brush liberally with a little of the reduced sauce.
4. Roast at 220ºC for 40 minutes or until golden, brushing with extra marinade twice during cooking. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving into thick slices to serve.

Marmalade Jus

1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer together for about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch each white pepper and ground cinnamon.

Cooks Tips

If cooking in advance, remove pork from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting, making sure the meat is well-covered. Allow an extra 10-15 minutes cooking time until the pork is hot through to the bone. Beef jus is made by Essential Cuisine and can be found at butcher's shops or in the meat department of selected supermarkets. You only need ½ pouch of jus for this recipe, so freeze the remainder in ice-cube trays and use to flavour soups and casseroles.