Sometimes it's hard to find new meals to try, especially if you are not an overly confident chef, but this recipe for Chinese Pork Belly and Egg Fried Rice is simple and easy to follow. What's more, this is a perfect dish for feeding the whole family as it can feed up to 6 people.
All of the ingredients are available from supermarkets, are cheap and reusable, so there is nothing wasted. You will need to leave 2 hours to prepare this meal on the day and ideally prepare the meat the day before and leave overnight.
Ingredients for Chinese Pork Belly
- 1 boneless pork belly with rind
- 2 tbsp of Chinese five spice powder
- 2 tbsp of caster sugar
- 2 tsp of ground black or white pepper
- 4 tbsp of sea salt
Ingredients for Egg Fried Rice
- 2 eggs
- 500g of long grain rice
- 2 tsp of sesame oil
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
Preparing the Chinese Pork Belly
Ideally the pork should be prepared the night before you want to have it and left over night, but it can be prepared and eaten on the same day, the extra time will just give the spices more time to absorb into the meat and dry out the rind so that it goes more crispy. To prepare the pork do the following:
- Score the rind side of the pork with a sharp knife. This is best done in diagonal lines across the length of the pork, about an inch apart.
- Place the pork on a wire rack, rind side up, over the sink and pour 4 cups of boiling water over the rind and then set the pork aside.
- Now add the Chinese five spice powder, salt, pepper and caster sugar to a hot wok, with no oil, and stir fry this for 3 minutes, any longer and it will burn. If you don't have a wok use a pan and put it on a lower heat.
- Once the rub is cool enough to touch, work well it into the meat side of the pork belly.
- Then place the pork on a wire rack and leave out to dry in a cool place overnight. If you are preparing it on the day try to leave it to dry for at least 1 hour before cooking.
- To cook the Chinese Pork Belly pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6, place the pork in the centre of the oven on a wire rack, rind side up and above a roasting tin filled with water.
- After 30 minutes at this temperature, turn the heat down to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and cook for another 1 1/2 hours. Take the pork out and leave to cool for 5 minutes before you carve it.
Preparing the Egg Fried Rice
The Egg Fried Rice takes about 20-30 minutes to prepare and so should be started whilst the pork is still in the oven. To prepare the rice do the following:
- Boil a pan of water, add the rice, bring back to the boil and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile beat the 2 eggs and add to this the sesame oil, salt and pepper.
- Add the vegetable oil to a wok or frying pan and heat.
- Once hot add the cooked rice and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Then add the egg mixture to the pan and continue to stir fry for another 3 minutes, until the egg is cooked.
To serve, simply carve the pork belly into strips or into chunks and place this alongside the Egg Fried Rice. To add a bit more flavour you can add some Soy Sauce to the fried rice or even another pinch of Chinese five spice powder.
Simple to prepare and very tasty, this Chinese Pork Belly and Egg Fried Rice is a great meal for feeding the whole family. With pork belly being a cheap cut of meat it is also a very affordable meal, yet offers a change from normal routine food.
Other Great Pork Recipes
Pork Fillet Potjie Recipe - A tasty slow cooked African dish that is definitely worth a try
Making a Real Pork Pie - A classic, traditional English dish that is fun to make from scratch
Pork Chops with Celeriac Mash - Pork Chops are a true family favourite and easy to prepare
Matthew Read - I love writing! Over the last 6 years I have written CD reviews, book reviews, interviews and features for music magazines like No-Title, ...
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