Crispy Salt-and-Pepper Pork Belly with Blistered Chilies

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Cubes of pork belly are gently simmered with ginger and scallion, dried, then fried in their own rendered fat until the edges shatter. A quick toss with garlic, blistered chilies and a toasted Sichuan peppercorn salt turns them into the kind of salt-and-pepper dish you'd order twice at a Cantonese restaurant — and every gram of it is fat and protein, no batter, no sugar.

Ingredients

• 2 lb skinless pork belly, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 4 slices fresh ginger, coin-sized
• 3 scallions, halved crosswise
• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 3 serrano or jalapeño chilies, sliced into thin rings
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch squares
• 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp avocado oil (if needed)
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Put the pork belly cubes in a wide saucepan with the ginger coins, halved scallions, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a bare simmer and cook uncovered for 25 minutes, until a paring knife slides easily into a cube. This renders some fat and guarantees tender meat.
2. Drain the pork in a colander (discard the aromatics) and spread the cubes on a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels. Blot very dry and let air-dry 10 minutes — surface moisture is the enemy of crisp edges.
3. While the pork dries, toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat for 60 to 90 seconds, shaking constantly, until fragrant. Cool, then grind in a mortar or spice grinder and stir together with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, the white pepper, and the five-spice powder. Set this salt-and-pepper mix next to the stove.
4. Heat a large carbon-steel wok or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the pork cubes fat-side down in a single layer (no oil needed) and fry 10 to 14 minutes, turning every few minutes, until deeply browned and crisp on at least three sides. Work in two batches if the pan is crowded.
5. Transfer the crisped pork to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat from the pan, reserving the rest for another use; if the pan looks dry, add the tablespoon of avocado oil.
6. Return the pan to high heat. Add the garlic, minced ginger, chilies, and bell pepper and stir-fry hard for 60 to 90 seconds, until the garlic is pale gold and the chilies are blistered in spots.
7. Return the pork to the pan, sprinkle in all of the salt-and-pepper mix, and toss vigorously for 45 seconds so every cube is coated. Add the soy sauce down the hot side of the pan, let it hiss and reduce for 10 seconds, then add the scallions and sesame oil and toss twice more.
8. Slide onto a warm platter and serve immediately with lime wedges to squeeze over the top. The pork loses its crunch as it sits, so bring it straight to the table.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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