crispy pork belly + crispy rice + crispy lotus chips salad

i made this for myself in college after a couple of rough weeks,,, i think everyone deserves a good meal after some shit happens to you 😭

  1. pat pork belly dry with paper towels to remove moisture

  2. score the meat side of the pork with a knife, about 1 inch apart

  3. combine five spice power, sugar, white pepper powder, and shaoxing cooking wine in a small bowl

  4. avoiding the skin, rub the the marinade onto the meat side of the pork belly

  5. stab the skin side with a fork or a knife (carefully!!!), be careful not to puncture the skin

  6. rub salt onto the skin and make a aluminum foil boat around the pork belly, with the walls taller than the height of the pork

  7. air fry for 40 - 50 minutes at 250º F

  8. pat the skin dry again and brush a thin amount of neutral oil on the skin

  9. air fry again at 380º for 20 - 25 minutes

  10. let rest for 5 minutes then slice to serve

For the crispy pork belly/siu yuk

(adapted from dougdoesdelicious on Instagram; I suggest watching his video because he can explain this way better than I can)

  • 1.5 lb pork belly

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 tsp chinese five spice powder

  • 1 tsp granulated sugar

  • 1/2 tsp white pepper powder

  • 2 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine

  • 1 tsp salt

For the sautéed mushrooms

  • one packet beech mushrooms (or any mushroom you like)

  • 1 tbs brown sugar

  • 1 tbs soy sauce

  • 1 tsp minced garlic

  • 2 tsp oil

  1. heat oil on a medium hot pan and add mushrooms. make sure the oil coats the mushrooms and that they are spread evenly on the pan

  2. allow mushrooms to cook without stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the water from the mushrooms evaporate

  3. stir the mushrooms and cook another 2 - 3 minutes without stirring

  4. add sugar, soy sauce, and garlic and mix thoroughly, letting the mushrooms continue to brown and the sugar to caramelize. set aside

For the nước chấm

  • 6 tbs water

  • 1 tbs sugar

  • 1 tbs lime or lemon juice

  • 1 1/2 tbs fish sauce

  • 1/2 red thai chili or green chili, sliced

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  1. mix until the sugar is dissolved

Assembly:

  • 2 cups baby gem lettuce, chopped

  • 1 small cucumber, smashed then chopped

  • peanuts or any nuts

  • sliced lotus root in water (i’m assuming a fresh one would work too but i haven’t tried it)

  • leftover rice

  1. to make the lotus root chips, pat the slices dry, toss in oil, season with salt, and air fry at 380º for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown

  2. microwave leftover rice and spread out evenly on a medium heat oiled pan. toast the rice for 5 - 10 minutes or until it becomes crispy on the bottom

notes: air fry time and temp may vary

Stay delicious ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧