Asian Pork Belly Bun

Each bite of this belly burger is bursting with complementary flavors—spiciness from sriracha, sourness from green mango, and saltiness from the pork. This is best serves with Chicken, Cabbage and Tofu Soup.

Serves 4  Prep Time 15 minutes  Cooking Time 1 1/2 hours (for the pork belly)

For the roasted pork belly
sea salt
1/2 kilo slab pork belly

For the sandwich
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 medium green mango, peeled
4 sesame seed burger buns, sliced in
      half and toasted
8 pork belly slices
2 cups pickled cucumber
Sriracha sauce

1  Make the roasted pork belly: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Rub sea salt all over pork belly slab. Place in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until tender. Slice into 3- to 4-inch strips.

2  Run a melon scraper through the carrot and green mango to produce uniform shreds. Set aside.

3  Assemble the sandwich: On the bottom bun, lay a bed of pickled cucumber, followed by 2 pork belly pieces. Top with carrot and green mango shreds. Spread some Sriracha sauce on top, then cap off the burger.

Make your own pickled cucumbers:  Wash and dry 2 cucumbers. Slice lengthwise, just before you hit the seeds. Do this on every side of the cucumber to produce 4 cucumber "logs." Slice each log diagonally then place in a bowl. Generously sprinkle with salt and mix. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes or until soft. Wash the cucumbers in water twice, or until the salt is gone. Let stand in pickling liquid. (See recipe for pickling liquid in Reworked Reuben.)

Photography by Patrick Martires  | Food Styling by Angelo Comsti | Prop Styling by Elaine P. Lim | Props from Saizen (trays), all others from Yummy Prop Library