Vietnamese Fish Sauce Fried Pork Belly

Directions

1. Cut pork belly along the grain into long strips about 1inch-wide (we will cut against the grain when slicing before serving).

2. Cut ginger into slices.

3. Add pork belly to a pot with the ginger and salt.

4. Add enough water to cover the meat and bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and boil for 10 minutes.

5. Remove pork belly from the pot and rinse to remove scum if needed.

6. Let the pork belly sit in a sieve/strainer to air dry.

7. Mince garlic and shallot.

8. Once the surface of the pork has dried, using a fork or skewer, prick a lot of holes in the skin.

9. Place the pork into a bowl and add all the marinade ingredients, along with half of the mince shallot and garlic.

10. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes.

11. In the meantime, mince bird’s eye chili(es) and slice lemongrass.

12. In bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce and mix well.

13. Once the pork is done marinating, use your fingers, a spoon or a brush to brush off bits of garlic and shallot from the pork before coating it in a thin layer of cornstarch.

14. Add enough oil to a pan to create a ¾-inch layer and heat on medium.

15. Place the pork belly into the pan and fry until golden on all sides (10-15 minutes), then place the pork on an oil rack or paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil.

16. In a clean pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil, add in the remaining minced shallot and garlic, along with the minced lemongrass, and sweat the aromatics for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

17. Pour in the sauce, stirring continuously.

18. When the sauce begins to bubble, add in the fried pork belly and cook for about 3 minutes, flipping the meat to let each side cook in the sauce.

19. Remove the pork belly from the pan and slice into pieces, about 1cm thick.

20. Serve immediately with rice.