Reader recipe: Hamonado

This delicious recipe for the slow cooker comes from bite.co.nz member Jose Antonio Vilamil. It was highly recommendeded in our recent reader recipe competition to win an 8L Fagor Duo pressure cooker. "This pork and pineapple combination is delightful," the judges said. "We also tested this using the pressure cooker and it worked beautifully, cooked for an hour on High with a slow pressure release."

Jose said: "Hamonado is a native recipe from my province in the Philippines. If you ask people from the central and northern Philippines they might confuse this recipe for hamon (ham) which is another dish which we cook and prepare for Christmas. Hamonado is different as you can serve it not only on special occasions but also as everyday fare. A piece of pork with fat is best because it retains moisture. If you are after a tropical meal, this one is for you."

For the pork

1 ½ kgs	Pork, belly with bone in, hock or shoulder (Main)
2 cups	Pineapple juice, unsweetened (Main)
4 Tbsp	Oyster sauce
3	Garlic cloves, lightly pounded
1	Onion, cut into quarters
1 tsp	Peppercorns
2	Star anise
1 tsp	Allspice
2	Bay leaves
2 Tbsp	Brown sugar

To serve

1 serving	Pineapple, in slices
1 serving	Pineapple jam, optional

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook until tender (approx 3 hours on high, 6 hours on low).
2. Heat oven to 180C. Remove pork from slow cooker to an oven dish (save the juices) and cook in the oven until the skin is brown, approx 10-15 minutes.
3. Boil the cooking juices down to reduce to a thicker sauce. Place pineapple slices in sauce and cover for 10 minutes to make pineapple tender.
4. Place oven baked pork on a serving plate, garnish by putting jam on skin sparingly (if using). Place pineapple slices on top and pour over sauce to serve.