To cook the pork belly – preheat an oven to 160°C. Place the pork in an oven tray and fill halfway with water, then roast for 2 hours.
To make the spice paste – preheat an oven to 160°C. Place the ginger, shrimp paste, coconut and peanuts onto a lined baking tray and roast for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove the spices from the oven, then, adding one ingredient at a time, gradually pound all the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle to a smooth paste.
To make the sauce – heat the palm sugar with the water in a small pot until dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until a thick syrup forms. Add the fish sauce, then stir in the spice paste and simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the tamarind and simmer for a further 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly and season to taste; it should be rich, sweet, sour and salty.
To finish – remove the pork from the oven and rest for 15 minutes, then slice into cubes. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients together except the betel leaves. Toss with the sauce, ensuring everything is well-coated.
To serve – place a few betel leaves on each place, and top with a good handful of the pork and lobster mixture. Roll up each betel leaf as you eat with your hands.
250g pork belly
250g cooked lobster meat, thickly sliced
1 cup fresh pomelo, peeled & finely diced
2 birds eye chillies, de-seeded & finely sliced
2 tbsp roasted coconut, grated
2 tbsp red shallots, diced
1 tsp lime flesh, diced
1 tbsp young ginger, diced
1 handful coriander leaves
16 betel leaves
spice paste
4 slices ginger
1 tbsp shrimp paste
3 tbsp grated coconut
1 tbsp peanuts
3 birds eye chillies, de-seeded
1 tbsp dried prawns
1 pinch salt
sauce
1 cup palm sugar
¼ cup water
4 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp tamarind concentrate