A little effort reaps the reward of this show-stopping main dish, featuring familiar Thai flavors combined with surprising elements. A vibrant herb salad cuts the richness of braised pork belly infused with Thai tea, plenty of aromatics, and a touch of fish sauce. Served over a disk of crispy rice, seared pork slices are adorned with a drizzle of a surprisingly addictive sweetened condensed milk sauce. Sprinkled with slivers of fried garlic to boot - Thai Tea-Spiced Pork Belly with Condensed Milk Sauce delivers a dish full of prominent flavor and texture.
This recipe is featured as part of the Deliciously Unexpected Trend of our Flavor Forecast 25th Edition.
Ingredients
- Thai Tea-Spiced Pork Belly
- 2 pounds pork belly cut into 1-pound portions
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 cups brewed Thai tea
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Premium Fish Sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Gourmet Garden™ Garlic Paste - Substitutes4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Gourmet Garden™ Ginger Paste - Substitutes1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
- 1 piece star anise
- 1 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 teaspoons Black Peppercorn Grinder
- Condensed Milk Sauce
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 4 teaspoons sambal chile paste
- 2 tablespoons Gourmet Garden™ Garlic Paste - Substitutes4 cloves garlic, minced, grated
- 2 teaspoons Gourmet Garden™ Ginger Paste - Substitutes1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, grated
- Crispy Rice Cakes
- 2 cups short grain rice, cooked
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Herb Salad
- 1 tablespoon, fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Premium Fish Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Gourmet Garden™ Garlic Paste, minced
- 1 Thai chile, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh Thai basil fresh sweet basil, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 bunch green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons matchstick carrots
- 6 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
- Garnish
- fried garlic pieces
- fresh cilantro, chopped
Nutrition Information
(per serving)
A little effort reaps the reward of this show-stopping main dish, featuring familiar Thai flavors combined with surprising elements. A vibrant herb salad cuts the richness of braised pork belly infused with Thai tea, plenty of aromatics, and a touch of fish sauce. Served over a disk of crispy rice, seared pork slices are adorned with a drizzle of a surprisingly addictive sweetened condensed milk sauce. Sprinkled with slivers of fried garlic to boot - Thai Tea-Spiced Pork Belly with Condensed Milk Sauce delivers a dish full of prominent flavor and texture.
This recipe is featured as part of the Deliciously Unexpected Trend of our Flavor Forecast 25th Edition.
Key products
Instructions
- For the Thai Tea-Spiced Pork Belly, pat pork dry. Score skin in crosshatch pattern. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in large Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Place pork belly in pot, one piece at a time. Sear until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pot.
- Add remaining ingredients to Dutch oven, stirring to mix well. Return pork to pot. Bring to simmer on medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until pork belly is tender and easily pierced with a fork. Remove pork from Dutch oven. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Cut pork into 2-inch square portions. Set aside.
- Skim fat from surface of braising liquid. Using a slotted spoon, or small mesh strainer, skim liquid to remove star anise, cinnamon stick and peppercorns. Cook braising liquid on medium heat about 10 minutes or until reduced to about 1 cup. Remove from heat; keep warm.
- Meanwhile, for the Sauce, whisk sweetened condensed milk, tahini, sambal paste, garlic paste and ginger paste in small saucepan. Heat on low, whisking frequently, until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Keep warm.
- For the Crispy Rice Cakes, spread hot cooked rice in bottom of large baking pan or onto half sheet pan. Press firmly to create an even layer. Allow to cool. Cut into 2-inch squares (or 2-inch diameter circles). Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Place rice squares in skillet. Toast on both sides until lightly browned. Set aside until ready to assemble.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil (for Pork Belly) to same skillet on medium-high heat. Working in batches, as needed, brown top and bottom of pork belly portions. Remove from skillet and place on paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- For the Herb Salad, mix lime juice, sugar, fish sauce and garlic paste in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients, tossing to coat well. Set aside until ready to serve.
