Easy family recipe - slow cooked pork shoulder froM Ben Keal

As well as being a chef, Ben Keal - executive chef at Three Pound Group, is also a busy father of two, so he knows firsthand how chaotic the return to classrooms can be for families.

Here, he shares a dinner idea to help make life easier during this time of the year.

Slow-cooked pork shoulder bao buns with gochujang cucumber pickles

PORK MARINADE

3-4kg pork shoulder (ask your butcher to leave the fat on)

½ cup rock salt

½ cup caster sugar

½ litre chicken stock

2 bay leaves

2 star anise

1 bunch thyme

1 cup brown sugar

GOCHUJANG CUCUMBER PICKLES

200ml rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp shaved palm sugar

1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)

4 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced

2 red onions, thinly sliced

½ tsp salt flakes

4 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

ACCOMPANIMENTS

10 steamed bao buns

kewpie mayo

coriander

buttercrunch lettuce

½ bunch spring onions, finely sliced

METHOD

Mix the rock salt and caster sugar for the marinade and rub over the pork. Leave in the fridge for 24 hours. Do this step the day before to allow enough time.

Warm the rice vinegar, garlic, palm sugar and gochujang, then pour over the sliced cucumbers and red onions. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight. Keep the toasted sesame seeds separate for serving.

In the morning, wipe off the salt and sugar mixture from the pork and pat it dry. Sear the pork on all sides in a slow cooker, then add the remaining marinade ingredients except for the brown sugar. Cook on low heat for 8 hours.

Once the pork is cooked, place it fat-side up on a baking tray and rub in the brown sugar. Preheat your oven to 240C and place the pork in the oven for 5-10 minutes until golden brown.

Strain the pickled cucumbers and red onions, then sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

Serve the pork in the centre of the table with the pickles, spring onions, steamed bao buns, kewpie mayo, coriander and lettuce.

TIPS

• You can find gochujang paste at Coles and Woolworths.

• If the kids aren’t fans of too much heat, you can reduce the amount of gochujang paste in the pickles.

• The pork is ready when you insert a knife and there’s no resistance when pulling it out.