Pork belly braised with pickled vegetables, also known as pork belly braised with pickled mustard greens, is a familiar dish in many Vietnamese families. The combination of soft and fatty pork belly, crispy pickled mustard greens and rich braised broth creates an attractive dish, especially suitable for hot rice.
Materials
500g of pork belly.
400g pickled mustard greens.
30ml fish sauce.
8g salt.
22g sugar.
1/2 teaspoon of MSG.
30g shallots, 20g minced garlic.
Cut 2 cloves of green onion into sections.
1 tablespoon chili sauce.
1/2 teaspoon pepper.
1 tablespoon of colored water.
Cooking oil.
How to do
Step 1: Pre-processing ingredients
Wash pork belly, blanch in boiling water with a little salt for about 2 minutes, then take out to drain, cut into bite-sized pieces. Wash pickled mustard greens quickly with water to reduce sourness, cut into bite-sized pieces and drain.
Step 2: Marinate the meat
Marinate the meat with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1.5 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of seasoning with minced onions and garlic for about 20–30 minutes to let the meat absorb the spices.
Step 3: Braise meat with pickled mustard greens
Heat a pan with a little cooking oil, put the meat in to pan-fry until firm and charred edges. Add about 250ml of water, onion, garlic and chili (if desired), bring to a boil and reduce to low heat, braise for about 10 minutes.
Continue to add pickled mustard greens, add chili sauce and a little sugar, stir well and braise for about 5 more minutes. Open the lid, cook for a few more minutes until the braising water thickens, add scallions and turn off the heat.
Pork belly braised with pickled vegetables is best served hot with white rice or boiled vegetables. The meat is soft, moderately fatty, blended with the sour taste of pickled vegetables and the rich braised broth, creating a rustic but very rice-filled dish.
The dish can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1–2 days. When reusing, it should be thoroughly heated to retain the flavor and ensure food safety.
