Thin slices of pork belly, egg curds, julienned carrot and green beans. Sweet, salty and tangy with bit of punch from sliced bird’s eye chilies. Easy. Inexpensive. Cooks in 30 minutes.
We had this for lunch a couple of days ago. I took a pack of sliced pork belly from the freezer, placed it on a plate and set the plate on the kitchen counter. Then, I made coffee and enjoyed it leisurely. While the pork was thawing on the counter, I emptied the dish rack and arranged the clean plates, bowls and mugs in the China cabinet.
All the while, I was debating whether to serve the pork and vegetable dish I intended to cook with noodles or with rice. Noodles would require a few additional steps. Boiling the noodles, cooling in iced water to stop the cooking and then tossing them in oil before combining with the cooked pork and vegetables. On the other hand, rice could go into the rice cooker and no further action on my part would be required.
Convenience won. That part about sipping my coffee leisurely? Well, I was also noticing how the sunlight was creeping through the window and slowly but persistently flooding the dining area with close-to-midday heat. I knew I would have to turn the air-conditioner on so I could cook without bathing in my own perspiration. It was one of those days. Perhaps, in the future, when the weather isn’t so punishing, I can cook this dish again and serve it with noodles.
A couple of tips.
If you can get pre-sliced pork belly from the grocery, the prep time will be infinitely shorter. If your meat grocer sells Asian pork cuts, look for cuts labeled “pork samgyeopsal” or “pork bulgogi” — they both refer to pork belly sliced as thinly as bacon rashers. If what you can get is a slab of pork belly and you have to do the slicing yourself, I suggest freezing the meat partially to firm it up and make slicing easier. A sharp knife is essential.
The meat-vegetable ratio is a guide. If you prefer more vegetables, double the amount of green beans and carrot. Just remember that you’ll also need more Vietnamese mixed fish sauce to make sure that the cooked dish does not turn bland.
Pork, eggs and vegetables with Vietnamese mixed fish sauce
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 3 to 4 eggs beaten
- 250 grams thinly sliced pork belly (8.8 oz), cut into strips about ¼-inch wide
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 red onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
Vietnamese mixed fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons calamansi juice (or substitute lemon or lime juice)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 2 bird’s eye chilies thinly sliced
Vegetables
- 100 grams green beans (3.5 oz) stringed and sliced thinly on the bias
- 1 medium carrot peeled and julienned
Instructions
Cook the eggs
- Pour the cooking oil into a wok and switch the heat to medium-low.
- Pour in the eggs and stir briskly with a spatula to prevent the eggs from spreading.
- Keep stirring until the eggs start to solidify and turn curdly.
- Turn off the heat. Break up the curds then scoop out and move to a plate.
Cook the pork
- Spread the pork in the slightly cooled wok.
- Switch on the heat to medium low and allow the undersides of the pork strips to brown.
- Stir and continue cooking until the pork starts to render fat.
- Pour in the tablespoon of fish sauce and cooking, stirring often, until the pork strips are golden brown.
- Stir in the onion slices and chopped garlic and cook until the onion slices soften a bit.
- Pour in about a cup and a half of water, cover then wok and simmer the pork until tender (should take about ten minutes) and the mixture is almost dry.
Make the sauce
- While the pork cooks, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce.
- Taste and adjust the saltiness, tanginess or sweetness depending on your preference.
Cook the pork and vegetables together
- Pour in about two tablespoons of the sauce into the pork. Cook, stirring, until almost dry.
- Add the egg curds, green beans and julienned carrot to the pork.
- Pour in another two tablespoons of the sauce and two tablespoons of water. Stir, cover the wok and simmer everything together for four to five minutes.
- Taste, add more sauce if needed, and serve over rice.
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Hong Kong: North Point