Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds pork belly
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 2 quarts pork or chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 cup bamboo rice (see Cook's Note)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 10 cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons Korean red pepper
  • 1 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 English cucumber, sliced thin
  • 1 carrot, julienned on a mandolin
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
  • 1/4 jalapeno, rough chopped
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 5 1/4 ounces red wine vinegar
  • 2 3/4 ounces balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 1/3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • Zest of 1/3 orange
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 cup sweet soy sauce
  • Ground, toasted macadamia nuts, for sprinkling
  • Sriracha, for serving

Method

  • Special equipment: a chinois strainer
  • For the pork belly: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or deep saute pan over high heat.
  • Season the pork belly with salt and pepper on all sides and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the celery, onion and carrot around the sides of the pork belly and let them begin to heat for another 2 or 3 minutes.
  • Pour in the pork stock (or chicken stock if you don't have pork), cover, and cook in the oven until the pork is tender, about 2 hours.
  • Let cool in the braising liquid until cold all the way through.
  • When completely cooled, cut into 4 equal rectangular pieces and set aside for plating.
  • For the bamboo rice: Saute the ginger and shallot with the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until translucent, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the rice and saute for another 30 seconds.
  • Add the salt, pepper and 1 1/4 cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, 20 minutes.
  • Fluff with a fork before serving.
  • For the cucumber kimchi: Mix together the garlic, sugar, ginger, red pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce and salt in a large bowl and let sit for 2 hours.
  • Fold in the cucumber, carrot and cilantro.
  • For the sweet soy ginger jus: Saute the ginger and jalapeno in a medium saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the sugar, red wine and balsamic vinegars, ketchup, soy sauce and orange zest.
  • Stir to combine and cook until reduced by half.
  • Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl to make a slurry; whisk it into the reduction.
  • Add the sweet soy and mix thoroughly.
  • Strain through a chinois strainer.
  • To finish the dish: Crisp the pork belly on all sides in a saute pan over medium high-heat, then glaze the belly with the sweet soy ginger jus, adding just enough to coat.
  • Slice the belly in 1/4-inch-thick slices.
  • Place 1/2 cup of the bamboo rice in the middle of each plate.
  • Fan the sliced pork belly on top of the rice and top with a good pinch of the cucumber kimchi.
  • Sprinkle ground, toasted macadamia nuts on top if desired and drizzle the sweet soy ginger jus around the plate.
  • Sriracha can be dotted around the plate to finish if desired.