Twice-cooked pork belly with lentils

Name: Twice-cooked pork belly with lentils
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 h 30 min
Total time: 5 h 30 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 3 garlic cloves; 4 cm piece fresh ginger; 1 tsp dried chilli flakes; 1 star anise; 50 g Chinese cooking wine; 1 tbsp tamarind paste; 2 tsp Chinese five spice; ½ tsp sesame oil; 700 g water; 800 - 1100 g boneless pork belly, rind on; 1 - 2 pinches salt; 2 pears; 2 tsp white sugar; 120 g red onion; 1 tbsp oil; ½ tsp cumin seeds; 1 beetroot; 800 g canned lentils; 3 tsp red wine vinegar; 5 - 6 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 - 2 pinches ground black pepper