Crispy Pork Belly Rice Bowl with Cucumber
Golden, crackling pork belly sliced over warm rice, cooled by crisp cucumber and a bright cucumber dressing. A savory one-bowl dinner with real crunch.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 30 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Rendering fat · Absorption rice
- Savory
- Crispy
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Rinse the rice under cold running water until it runs clear, then drain. Put the rice in a small saucepan with 160 ml water and a pinch of the salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender, about 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
~20 min
Rinsing removes surface starch so the grains cook up separate and fluffy instead of gluey.
Absorption rice Use a tight-fitting lid and low simmer, then let the rice stand covered off the heat so the remaining moisture absorbs evenly; peeking releases steam and makes the rice uneven.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the rice cooks, cut the pork belly into 1.5 cm thick slices and pat them completely dry with paper towel. Season both sides with the black pepper and a pinch of the salt. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat, lay the slices in a single layer, and cook undisturbed until the fat renders and the skin side is deep golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn and cook the second side until browned, 4 to 5 minutes more.
~8 min
Drying the pork belly prevents surface moisture from steaming the skin, so it can fry into a crisp crackling.
Pat the pork belly bone dry before it hits the pan: any surface moisture steams the skin instead of frying it, and you lose the crackle.
Rendering fat Cook pork belly over medium heat without moving it so the fat melts slowly and the skin crisps; too high heat burns the outside before the fat renders.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the pork cooks, cut the cucumber into thin slices. Toss them in a small bowl with the remaining salt and let them sit so they release a little juice and stay crunchy.
~5 min
Salting the cucumber draws out water by osmosis, concentrating its flavor and keeping the slices crisp.
-
Move the crisp pork belly slices to a plate and let them rest so the juices settle and the crust stays firm, about 5 minutes.
~5 min
Resting lets the juices redistribute so they stay in the meat instead of running out and softening the crust.
-
Fluff the rice with a fork and spoon it into a bowl. Lay the crisp pork belly slices on top, spoon the cucumber and its juices alongside, and finish with a final pinch of salt and black pepper.
~1 min