Crispy Twice-Cooked Pork with Napa Cabbage and Leeks

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A Sichuan-style skillet dish where a slab of pork belly is gently simmered with ginger and scallion, chilled, then sliced paper-thin and crisped in a screaming-hot pan. The curled, glassy pork gets tossed with sweet leeks and napa cabbage in a garlicky chili-vinegar glaze that clings without a speck of starch or sugar. Rich, tingly, and satisfying enough that nobody misses the rice.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb skin-on pork belly, in one slab
• 3 slices fresh ginger, coin-sized
• 2 scallions, halved crosswise
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns

• 2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp dry sherry
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1.5 tsp granulated monk fruit sweetener
• 0.25 tsp ground white pepper

• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 cups leeks, white and light green parts, sliced 1/4 inch on the bias
• 6 cups napa cabbage, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
• 2 red Fresno chiles, sliced
• 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths

Instructions

1. Put the pork belly slab in a saucepan just large enough to hold it, add the ginger coins, halved scallions, kosher salt, Sichuan peppercorns, and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and poach, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until a skewer slides into the meat with light resistance.
2. Lift the pork out with tongs (save the poaching liquid), set it on a plate, and refrigerate uncovered for at least 45 minutes, or up to 2 days. Chilling firms the fat so you can slice it thin — this step is not optional.
3. While the pork chills, whisk the chili-garlic sauce, tamari, rice vinegar, dry sherry, sesame oil, monk fruit sweetener, and white pepper together in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons of the reserved poaching liquid. Set aside.
4. Slice the chilled pork belly across the slab into pieces about 1/8 inch thick, so each piece has a ribbon of skin, fat, and meat. Pat the slices dry with paper towels.
5. Heat a 12-inch carbon steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes with no oil. Lay in half the pork in a single layer and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the edges curl and the fat turns glassy and browned. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the second batch. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of rendered fat and reserve it.
6. Add the avocado oil to the skillet along with the garlic, minced ginger, and Fresno chiles. Stir-fry over medium-high for 30 seconds, just until fragrant and sizzling — do not let the garlic brown.
7. Add the leeks and cook 2 minutes, tossing, until they soften and smell sweet. Add the napa cabbage and cook 3 to 4 minutes, tossing every 30 seconds, until the stems are crisp-tender and the leaves have wilted.
8. Return the pork to the pan, pour in the sauce, and toss hard for 1 to 2 minutes over high heat until the liquid reduces to a glossy coating that clings to the cabbage. Add the scallion lengths, toss 30 seconds more, and serve immediately straight from the skillet.
9. Taste and adjust with a splash more vinegar for brightness or a pinch of salt. Spoon any reserved pork fat over the top for extra richness if you like.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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