Asian Marinated Pork Neck with Pickled Carrots
Chinese-style pork neck marinated in garlic, fish sauce, lime, and Shaoxing wine, then griddle-cooked until caramelized. Served alongside tangy pickled carrots with star anise and steamed rice. The marinade infuses deep umami flavors while quick cooking keeps the meat tender. Optional cashew nuts and cilantro add richness and freshness.
Ingredients
- 2 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- lime juice, from 1.5 limes
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice winedry sherry1:1wine
similar depth
- 1 ¾ lb pork neck, British free-range, or legpork shoulder1:1pork
similar cooking time
- 4 carrots
- 5 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ cups superfine sugarwhite sugar1:1sweetenerFull guide →
- 1 star anise
- steamed rice, to serve
- cashew nuts, toasted, optional(optional)
- fresh coriander, optional(optional)
- 10 tbsp water, for pickling
Instructions
- 1
Combine crushed garlic, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and Shaoxing rice wine in a bowl.
- 2
Cut pork neck into large chunks and coat thoroughly with marinade. Seal in a plastic bag or cover bowl and refrigerate for 45 minutes or overnight.
- 3
Peel carrots and cut into ribbons.
- 4
Heat water with white wine vinegar, superfine sugar, and star anise until sugar dissolves. Pour pickling liquid over carrots, cover, and chill.
- 5
Heat griddle pan on high heat until smoking. Griddle pork in batches for 4-5 minutes until cooked through.
- 6
Serve pork with drained pickled carrots and steamed rice, optionally stirred with toasted cashew nuts and fresh coriander.
Tips
Pork neck is lean; do not overcook to avoid dryness—aim for just cooked through, 4-5 minutes per batch.
Marinate overnight for maximum flavor development.
Pickled carrots taste better after several hours of chilling.
Good to Know
Cooked pork keeps refrigerated up to 3 days. Pickled carrots improve with time; store in sealed container up to 1 week.
Marinate pork overnight. Pickle carrots up to 1 day in advance.
Warm pork with chilled pickled carrots and hot steamed rice. Cashew nuts and coriander are optional finishes.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the smoking-hot griddle to avoid pale, steamed pork instead of caramelized exterior.
Do not overcook pork neck batches to avoid tough, dry meat.