Babi guling is one of the most delicious dishes in Indonesia. Pork is rare in this predominantly Muslim country, but we had to include roast suckling pig given the near-hysteria it generates on the Hindu island of Bali. The pork is stuffed and infused with a spicy concoction, usually including turmeric, coriander seeds, lemongrass, black pepper and garlic.
Ingredients of Babi Guling
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2.5 kg piece pork belly, skin on
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1½ tablespoon salt
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5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
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2 dried salam leaves, crumbled (optional)
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50 g finely grated fresh turmeric (or 1 tbsp ground dried turmeric) mixed with 125ml water, strained, solids discarded
Spice paste
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80 g fresh turmeric, coarsely chopped
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12 birdseye chillies, finely chopped
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8 golden shallots, coarsely chopped
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5 large garlic cloves
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2 large lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped
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10 g (2cm piece) ginger, coarsely chopped
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2 tablespoons coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
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2 tablespoons vegetable oil
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1 tablespoon black peppercorns, finely crushed
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1 tablespoon coarsely chopped galangal
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1 teaspoon ground kencur
- Rub the skin and pork belly with salt and set aside.
- For the spice paste, process the ingredients and 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt in a food processor until a fine paste forms.
- Place the pork skin side down on a work surface. Spread on the spice paste, sprinkle with lime leaves and salam leaves along one long side, then roll to form a long cylinder. Secure with satay sticks or tie at regular intervals with kitchen string. Brush the turmeric zest and marinate in a cool, dry place to dry the skin (30 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 200 ° C / 180 ° C forced. Place the pork on a wire rack in an ovenproof dish and roast until the skin crackles (30 minutes), then reduce the oven to 175 ° C / 155 ° C and sprinkle occasionally with the pan juices until the juices are clear when the thickest part of the pork is pierced with a skewer (1-1½ hours).
- Rest in a warm place to allow the fat to settle (10 minutes). Remove the satay sticks or the string. Cut the crackling, cut the meat into thick slices and serve hot.
